Hundreds of Nakuru residents and human rights activists took to the streets to protest against the killing of women in the country.

The crowd matched along Kenyatta Avenue to the KFA roundabout, with women calling for action against femicide and for cases against suspected perpetrators to be fast-tracked through the courts.

They also carried placards with messages ranging from "Being a woman should not be a death sentence" to the hashtags #EndFemicideKe and #MyDearBodyMovementNakuru.

Sex workers speak as women protest against femicide in Nakuru

"We are here to demand justice for all the women who have died mysteriously at the hands of men and we also demand safety for women. It seems that it is still acceptable to murder women and girls whenever you feel like it. And today we say no more. You will no longer kill us and get away with it," said Hassan Adeko, a human rights defender.

The chairperson of the Smart Lady's Association, Ms Daisy Achieng, called on Nakuru's elected women leaders to come forward and condemn the killing of women.

Women protesting against Femicide in Nakuru.

Photo credit: Purity Kinuthia/Mtaa Wangu

"There is a tendency for perpetrators to be arrested, charged to court and released after a short time. It is with a heavy heart that we call on the government to act and act quickly. We can't go on seeing women being killed and the government not doing much about it," said Ms Acheing.

"We are afraid that we are back to the era where we lost many girls in 2015, we lost more than 12 ladies mysteriously, their bodies were just found dumped with missing body parts while some were even skinned. We want to stop the killing of women. They are our sisters, mothers and children," she said.

Women, says Ms Achieng, need to be able to work without fear of their lives being taken away as if they do not matter.

Wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

Protests in Nakuru as locals demand end to femicide

Author Spotlight

Purity Kinuthia