President William Ruto has directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and all investigative agencies to take decisive action against perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide in the country.
Speaking during the swearing-in of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Ruto acknowledged the escalating cases of violence against women and girls.
“Recently, we have seen incidences of our girls, mothers and women who have been murdered in cold blood. The DCI and all the investigative authorities in Kenya must stand up to these criminals,” Ruto directed.
His remarks come in the wake of rising violence against women, which has reportedly seen 30 women killed by intimate partners this year alone, according to the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya).
The head of state called for a collective societal response and urged communities to be cautious of strangers who may pose a threat to the safety of women.
“I want to ask us as a society to be careful with strangers to be careful with people who lure our girls and our women into situations that compromise their security but we must be on the lookout all of us as a nation,” he stated.
On Tuesday, FIDA criticized law enforcement agencies over their perceived laxity in handling investigations related to femicide cases.
The organization, however, urged the President to follow through on his directive to the DCI for expedited action against perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV).
“We call upon the President to follow through as regards his directive to investigative agencies to take decisive, expedited action against GBV perpetrators.”
Ruto’s directive comes amid the ongoing search for Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, a suspect linked to the brutal murder of 42 women and disposing of their bodies at the Kware dumpsite in Nairobi’s Mukuru kwa Njenga area.
The DCI has issued a public appeal for information and a cash reward for anyone who can provide information that could aid in his recapture.
“If you have any information regarding Collins Jumaisi Khalusha’s whereabouts, we encourage you to share it confidentially through the anonymous #FichuaKwaDCI hotline at 0800722203 or reach out to the police through the hotlines 999, 911, and 112.”
