On June 1, thousands of Kenyans marched through the centre of the capital Nairobi to demand the government declare a national emergency over rising femicide and missing children.
The march, dominated by women, was organized by the End Femicide movement and women's rights, human rights and child protection groups. It was one of the largest protests against gender-based violence in the Kenyan capital in months, causing widespread traffic jams in the central business district.
Organizers invoked the brutal killing of gospel singer Rachel Wandeto to rally support. Wandeto was doused with petrol and set alight by three men as she walked home in Nairobi on May 16. She suffered burns to more than 85% of her body and died two days later at Kenyatta Hospital.
Campaign groups have given the Kenyan government a 40-day ultimatum to declare gender-based violence a national crisis or face nationwide protests.
Participants dressed in white, carried red roses and gathered around symbolic coffins covered with flower petals to honour victims. A large wall listing the names of the dead was placed at the centre of the gathering, beneath the words “Stop femicide in Kenya”.
Protesters carried placards reading “Don't kill women”, “Enough is enough” and “Stop femicide”. Former chief justice David Maraga also joined, calling on the government to act more decisively.
The ultimatum was issued on May 21 amid reports from the Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya that its three offices in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu were receiving about 70 cases of gender-based violence each week.
Data from the Children's Services Department shows more than 10,500 child protection cases were recorded from January 2025 to March 2026, including 1,952 abductions and 6,820 cases of abandonment. Nearly 2,328 children remain unaccounted for.
Protesters accused the government of failing to properly investigate cases and called for stronger protection, faster investigations, tougher penalties and more support for affected families.
Under pressure, the authorities announced in late May the creation of a dedicated investigative unit combining criminal intelligence analysts, forensic experts, homicide detectives and other specialists.
