As the country continues to grapple with the unfortunate cases of femicide that have continued to surge in recent months, a pattern has emerged that can perhaps put into perspective some preventive measures in the future.
In 2024, Kenyans were recorded as the highest social media users globally, spending an average of 3 hours and 43 minutes daily. Our analysis suggests this extensive social media usage significantly contributed to the surge in violence against women.
Already, President William Ruto has shown awareness of emerging trends on the impact of social media on the 97 cases of femicide reported this year, according to the National Police Service.
Kenyans.co.ke has conducted research that highlights some of the ways social media is being used as a means to further femicide, either directly or indirectly.
A key factor, according to our findings, is the spread of misogynistic ideologies. In Kenya, at least 13.05 million people use social media actively, while a further 4.5 billion people use various social media platforms globally. This, in turn, has greatly increased the dissemination of information and ideologies, which has in turn promoted dangerous cultures in modern society.
Today, the rise of misogynistic ideologies and the so-called 'red pill' movement has led to an increase in gender-based violence against women, with statistics revealing a large number of femicide victims lost their lives at the hands of their partners.
Our research also points to catfishing; the act of communicating with strangers online is another factor that has also led to a rise in femicide cases. In some cases, women have lost their lives after deciding to meet up with people they meet on social media and then finding out the violent nature of the individuals when it's too late.
One such case was that of Starlet Wahu, 26, who was found dead in an Airbnb room, bleeding out from a fatal stab wound inflicted by a man she met online.
Another factor that is fueling the femicide is the type of content Kenyans consume online, especially violent content. In recent times, there has been an oversaturation of violent content on social media, which has in turn directly or indirectly influenced behaviour among the young.
Despite consistent attempts to flag down extremely graphic content on platforms such as Facebook, X, YouTube, Twitch, Parler, and Telegram, it can typically take hours for these companies to take down the content in question.
The role of social media in driving the upsurge in violence is something that the Head of State has pointed to while launching a 16-day campaign to combat femicide.
On Wednesday, November 20, President Ruto took the first significant step towards curbing femicide in the country by launching a campaign dubbed Safe Homes, Safe Spaces. The campaign will kick off on Monday, November 25.
"We ask our children to be cautious of the social media that has become a high-risk space to engage strangers. Parents must also be present and approachable to their children," Ruto said.
The President also announced the allocation of Ksh100 million to support the programme which is geared towards educating young women on the dangers of engaging with strangers.
Amid the rising cases of femicide, President Ruto also ordered the enhancement of gender desks in all police stations across the country, adding that the government would also introduce similar desks in hospitals to ensure gender-based violence victims receive adequate care.
