NAIROBI, Kenya
Thousands of Kenyans, mostly women, marched through central Nairobi on Monday demanding stronger government action against rising cases of femicide and child disappearances, with organizers calling on President William Ruto to declare the situation a national crisis.
The march, organized by the End Femicide movement alongside women’s rights organizations, human rights groups and child protection advocates, brought traffic to a standstill across parts of the capital’s central business district.
Protesters carrying placards reading “End Femicide,” “Enough is Enough,” “Stop Killing Women,” and “End Pedicide” marched through major streets before holding a memorial gathering for victims.
Former Kenyan Chief Justice David Maraga joined protesters in Nairobi, lending his voice to calls for stronger action against femicide and child disappearances.
Participants dressed largely in white carried red roses and gathered around symbolic coffins covered in flower petals during an emotional tribute to women and children who have been killed or disappeared.
A large memorial wall listing the names of victims stood at the center of the gathering beneath the message “Stop Femicide in Kenya.”
Organizers said the demonstration was intended to draw attention to what they described as a worsening crisis of violence against women and children and to pressure authorities into treating the issue as a national emergency.
“Many young people are being killed, young girls and women. This needs to stop. That is why we all came out today dressed in these white T-shirts with the message ‘End Femicide’ and ‘End Pedicide.’ Many children are disappearing. You check social media and see families holding posters of missing children,” said Mercy Wanjiku, a 25-year-old student who joined the protest.
Rebecca Mugure, a businesswoman, said many Kenyans felt leaders had not done enough to address the growing fears surrounding the killings and disappearances.
“It is sad that our leaders are silent, but we are on the streets to correct that. Together they will listen,” Mugure said.
Kenya’s Children Services Principal Secretary Carren Ageng’o said in May 2026 that the country recorded 10,581 child protection cases between January 2025 and March 2026, according to data from the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS).
The cases included 1,636 reports of missing children, 1,952 abductions, 173 trafficking incidents and 6,820 cases of abandonment.
While authorities said about 78% of the cases were resolved through rescue efforts and family reunifications, approximately 2,328 children remain unaccounted for, raising concerns among child rights advocates and government officials about the safety and welfare of children across the country.
Protesters accused authorities of failing to adequately investigate many cases and called for stronger protections for women and children, faster investigations, harsher penalties for perpetrators and increased support for affected families.
The government had not immediately responded to the protesters’ demands on Monday, although police last month announced the formation of a specialized unit bringing together homicide investigators, forensic experts and criminal intelligence analysts to investigate femicide and other gender-based violence cases.
