Police in Kenya use tear gas on demonstrators who are demonstrating against femicide

Hundreds demonstrated against a rash of femicides on Tuesday, and according to a Reuters correspondent and human rights advocates, Kenyan police used tear gas and detained at least three people.

Hundreds of protesters, primarily women, marched in Nairobi’s capital, shouting, “Stop killing women!” and blowing whistles. Before reassembling, police officers again used tear gas from moving cars to scatter them.

Social media videos show that protests also occurred in the cities of Mombasa and Lodwar.
Since the demonstrators in Nairobi were nonviolent, it was unclear why the police had stepped in. When asked for comment, the national police spokesperson did not immediately reply.

Amnesty International Kenya’s executive director, Irungu Houghton, was among those detained, the organization claimed in a statement released in conjunction with three others.

“This protest was a courageous stand against the killing of women, a demand for urgency in investigating these murders and a call for perpetrators to be held accountable,” the statement read.

“The violent response by police … is a direct attack on Kenya’s democratic principles and the human rights of its citizens.”

According to Kenya’s National Police Service, at least 97 women were murdered in femicides—intentional homicides with a gender-related motive—between August and October.

Figures obtained by the Africa Data Hub collective based on media accounts indicate that there were at least 75 femicides in 2022 and 46 the year before, however the police did not release information for prior periods.

Kenya’s high rates of gender-based violence are largely caused by patriarchal attitudes and a lack of adequate legal protections, according to academics.

Kenyan police have also been under fire for their conduct during anti-government demonstrations in June and July, which resulted in the deaths of at least 60 people.

While claiming that investigators were examining particular claims of misbehavior, the authorities have supported the police reaction in general.