The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying efforts aimed at ending the rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide across the country, with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announcing that the implementation of key interventions is being fast-tracked.
Speaking on Thursday after a consultative meeting at Harambee House Annex in Nairobi with Gender and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo and senior ministry officials, Prof. Kindiki said the government had already begun implementing recommendations made by the Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which was established by President William Ruto last year.
The Deputy President emphasized that the administration is determined to reverse the alarming trend of violence against women and other vulnerable groups through coordinated legal, policy, and administrative reforms.
“We remain firmly committed to ensuring that the worrying statistics of gender-based violence and femicide are significantly reduced and ultimately eliminated,” he said.
According to Prof. Kindiki, President Ruto has directed relevant government agencies to expedite interventions designed to curb the growing crisis, noting that the continued loss of lives, particularly women killed under brutal circumstances, poses a serious threat to national unity and socio-economic development.
He said the government is already implementing recommendations that do not require parliamentary approval while simultaneously preparing policy proposals and legislative measures for Cabinet consideration before they are submitted to Parliament.
“The implementation process is progressing well on issues that can be addressed administratively, while those requiring legal and policy backing are being prepared for Cabinet approval before being forwarded to Parliament,” the Deputy President explained.
Prof. Kindiki further instructed the Ministry of Gender and Affirmative Action to expedite the presentation of the proposed policies and legislative reforms to facilitate government-wide backing and accelerate implementation.
He noted that the reforms would also support Kenya’s efforts to ratify the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, which was adopted during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2025.
The Deputy President stressed that creating a safe society remains a fundamental pillar of the country’s development agenda, saying infrastructure and economic growth must go hand in hand with protecting the lives and dignity of all citizens.
“As we continue investing in roads, education, healthcare and other development priorities, we must equally ensure that our country is safe for women, men, children and every member of society,” he stated.
Prof. Kindiki also assured Kenyans that the government is developing additional measures to address the increasing cases of missing children, describing the issue as another area requiring urgent national attention.
The meeting was also attended by Gender and Affirmative Action Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe alongside senior officials from the ministry, who reviewed the progress made in implementing the recommendations and discussed the next phase of reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s response to gender-based violence and femicide.
