President William Ruto has directed the homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to initiate an immediate probe into the deaths of several women and girls witnessed in the country in recent weeks.
Speaking during Deputy President Kithure Kindiki's swearing-in ceremony at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Friday, President Ruto ordered the DCI officers to work closely with other security agencies and investigate the matter to completion.
In his directive, the Head of State reiterated the government's commitment to ending cases of femicide in the country. According to him, the government would deal decisively with those found culpable of committing the heinous crime.
"I know that recently, we have seen incidents of our girls, our mothers, and women who have been murdered in cold blood. Let me say this, the DCI and all the investigative authorities in Kenya must stand up to these criminals," Ruto commented.
While addressing the gathering, President Ruto advised Kenyans to be careful about individuals with ill intentions of luring young girls and women to traps that compromise their security.
"I want to ask Kenyans to be careful with people, particularly strangers who lure girls and women to situations that compromise their security. We must be on the lookout as a nation, this is yet another moment, another beginning," the Head of State asserted.
Ruto's comes came against the backdrop of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Langat's statement revealing that at least 97 women have been killed in the past three months.
While addressing the press Wednesday, October 30 in Nairobi, the deputy police IG admitted that there had been a sharp rise in cases of femicide as he called for concerted efforts to end it. “We urge every member of society, including governmental, civil, and religious leaders, to engage in this crucial dialogue,” Langat commented.
According to Langat, through thorough comprehensive strategies and collaborative efforts with various stakeholders, a safe environment would be established and the cases of femicide would be investigated to a conclusion.
“About 90 per cent of femicide cases have been thoroughly investigated, resulting in the arrest of suspects, with these cases now pending in courts,” Langat revealed.
Ruto's statement also comes a day after the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) urged President William Ruto to consider declaring femicide a national crisis following the gruesome murder of several women in the last month.
In a statement issued by the lobby group on October 29, FIDA called on the Head of State to urgently direct security officers across the country to expedite the probe of all feminicide cases and arrest all the perpetrators within fourteen days.
