Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria on Sunday, January 28, announced a crackdown on Kenyans offering short-term rental spaces without proper certifications.
In a statement, Kuria stated that he was worried over the growing cases of crimes and murders which mostly targeted women.
The CS noted that most of the homicide cases occurred in those short-term rental spaces.
“Whereas most of these spaces are termed as Airbnb, they are not transacted through the Airbnb platform and thus there is no Know Your Customer (KYC) data collected,” Kuria remarked.
He noted that the lack of any formal data collection was a major security threat.
“The government will crack down on people offering such services outside Airbnb or other authorised and licensed platforms,” he vowed.
Kuria’s crackdown order was made a day after Kenya witnessed protests in the capital and other ten counties over rising cases of femicide.
The protesters carrying placards reading “Stop killing us” urged the government to put policies to end femicide.
Cases of femicide became pronounced after a 26-year-old Starlet Wahu was brutally murdered in a short-term rental house.
A few days later, another university student, Rita Waeni, was killed similarly in another short-term rental house.
According to reports, over 16 women have been killed in just a month with most of them being murdered by an intimate partner.
Politicians and other leaders have voiced their concerns over the matter and called for the government’s quick response.
