Kenyan police used teargas and arrested at least three people on Tuesday during peaceful protests in Nairobi against a surge in femicide, human rights activists and witnesses reported.
Around 300 women gathered in the city center, blowing whistles and chanting “Stop killing women!” as they marched. Despite their non-violent approach, police repeatedly dispersed the crowd using teargas from moving vehicles, forcing the protesters to regroup multiple times.
Irungu Houghton, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya, and Faith Odhiambo, President of the Law Society of Kenya, were among those detained, according to Amnesty staffer Mathias Kinyoda. The national police spokesperson has yet to comment on the intervention.
The demonstration was sparked by alarming reports of gender-based violence. Between August and October, at least 97 women in Kenya were victims of femicide, according to the National Police Service. Data from the Africa Data Hub collective shows at least 75 femicides occurred in 2022, up from 46 in 2021.
Experts attribute Kenya’s high rates of gender-based violence to deeply rooted patriarchal norms and inadequate legal protections.
Faith Odhiambo condemned the police response on X, writing: “The habit of violent response by police to Kenyans expressing their constitutional right to demonstrate and picket is increasingly becoming incorrigible. The police must refocus their energy on ending and fighting atrocities, not perpetuating them.”
This incident follows deadly crackdowns on other protests earlier this year, including demonstrations in June and July against a proposed tax hike, which resulted in at least 60 deaths. While authorities have defended police actions, they say investigations into specific allegations of misconduct are ongoing.
