NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 17 – The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA) now wants the government to further strengthen the regulatory mechanisms for accommodation facilities including Airbnbs in a bid to prevent the increased cases of femicide.
FIDA Kenya Chairperson Nancy Ikinu expressed concern over the recent cases of violence against women in the country which has led to loss of lives in recent weeks.
She singled out the gruesome murder of popular socialite Starlet Wahu whose body was discovered in an Airbnb in South B which she described as violence in the form of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the killing of another woman in Roysambu area.
“The loss of life of these young women sets a worrying trend and uncertainty for the safety of women and girls in Kenya in general,” she said.
Ikinu said that the women’s rights organization remains concerned about the government’s failure to protect women and girls from violence.
She noted that that in the last year, 10 cases of femicide have been reported in the country with many more cases remain unreported.
Ikinu called on the government to do more to guarantee the safety of women and girls from intimate partner violence.
“Bringing the suspect to ‘justice’ is not sufficient, there is a need to additionally conduct a thorough, effective, and dedicated investigation into the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incidents,” she added.
She further appealed to the criminal justice actors to take into consideration the rights of the victim’s family and/or representatives at all stages of the criminal proceedings further reaffirming the right to access to justice.
She expressed the organizations’ commitment to offering Pro Bono legal representation and psycho-social support for the victim’s family as well as other victims of violence in the country.
