Protesters Against Femicide Targeted with Tear Gas in Nairobi’s CBD

Protesters in Nairobi who gathered on Tuesday morning to demonstrate against the rising cases of femicide in the country were met with tear gas by police officers in the city’s CBD.

Several videos and images shared by Kenyans.co.ke show thick clouds of smoke rising from tear gas canisters deployed by the police to disperse the crowd.

The protest, which was the culmination of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), aimed to unite women, human rights activists, and allies to raise awareness about femicide, a growing issue in the country in recent months.

The ‘EndFemicideKe’ X account, which played a key role in organizing the protest, confirmed the tear gas incident and urged affected individuals to reach out to their emergency line for help.

A statement from the group condemned the police action, calling it an attack on their right to peacefully protest. Social media updates also reported that Naivas Supermarket and City Market were affected by the tear gas.

Media personality Adelle Onyango provided an update, confirming that the march at Jeevanjee Gardens was abandoned after police dispersed the attendees. She shared that some protesters were told by police that they could not gather because “it’s Christmas and we are disturbing the peace.”

This turn of events was surprising, especially since the campaign had received government backing, with Ksh100 million allocated by President William Ruto in November to address femicide. The announcement followed a call to participate in the 16 Days of Activism against GBV, which began on November 25.

President Ruto emphasized that psychological support and safe spaces for women and children were priorities for his office, announcing a campaign to create safe homes during the 16-day activism period. This came in response to alarming reports that 97 women had been killed in just three months since August.

Additionally, President Ruto revealed that a committee led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki had been established to find lasting solutions to eradicate femicide completely.