Human rights activist Hussein Khalid has revealed a worrying commonality in a spate of murders in Uasin Gishu County in recent weeks.
Speaking over the weekend, Khalid detailed several killings in Uasin Gishu as he pointed an accusing finger at President William Ruto for allegedly failing to deal with the femicide crisis.
"First, mama Jane was killed," the activist noted. "The next night in the same area, another lady by the name of Rose was killed in the Tyre Mbili area. What is evident is the security authorities are sleeping on the job."
Khalid further noted that the manner in which the two ladies were killed was eerily similar, suggesting it could be the work of an individual on a murder spree.
Two of the most recent cases involved the women receiving a single fatal hack on the head.
He added, "Someone shared that her life was in danger yet, three weeks later, she is lying dead at the morgue, one just can't explain why this is happening in the President's home county."
The activist's concerns came just days after Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor Evans Kapkea admitted there was a need for concerted efforts to reverse the worrying trend of femicide in the county.
In the past year alone, Uasin Gishu has experienced 16,000 cases of gender-based violence.
“GBV and femicide are vices that are not acceptable in our society and we have to do everything possible to ensure we have a secure society for all,” Kapkea said.
Meanwhile, women in Uasin Gishu have expressed their intentions to hold protests on rising femicide cases at the end of the month despite the police's failure to authorize the mass action.
Dig deeper: Meanwhile, President Ruto also weighed in on the femicide trend in the country in November as he committed KSh 100 million towards combating the vice.
While reiterating the government's commitment to protect women, Ruto declared 16 days of activism from November 25, 2024, to amplify the message against gender-based violence.
