Rebecca Cheptegei’s killing highlights hazard of feminine murder in Kenya

The homicide of Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei by her ex-partner has reignited requires stronger motion to fight femicide in Kenya.

The 33-year-old Ugandan died days after his ex-boyfriend doused his residence in Trans Nzoa County in western Kenya with petrol and set it on hearth.

This isn’t an remoted incident. Kenya has one of many highest charges of violence towards ladies in Africa.

Media stories acknowledged that greater than 10 ladies had been victims of femicide in January alone. Outlined by the United Nations Girls are killed due to their gender.

Jane (not her actual identify) advised the BBC she had spent a lot of this yr in hiding.

She stated she was unable to return to work as a result of life-changing accidents brought on by her ex-partner in a brutal stabbing.

“His intention was to kill me. He stabbed me and left me to die. With out the assistance of my neighbours, I might have died.

She stated she endured a long time of worsening abuse earlier than she left. She stated she had an emotional breakdown when he began attacking the kids.

“Dwelling with him was hell. I do not understand how I managed to carry on all these years,” Jane added.

Her estranged husband continued to harass her.

“I dwell in concern. He stated he wished to finish me. I can not sleep at night time. I am taking treatment now to assist my psychological well being. I am not the perpetrator, however my life is like being in jail.

one 2018 World Well being Group (WHO) Report Analysis reveals that 38% of Kenyan ladies aged 15 to 49 have skilled intimate accomplice violence.

Assist teams for survivors of gender-based violence say the variety of instances is rising yr by yr.

“On common we stand up to 50 calls a day and typically 20 visits,” Njeri Migwi advised the BBC.

She is the chief of Usikimye (Swahili), which implies “Do not be silent.”

In 2021, then-President Uhuru Kenyatta declared gender-based violence “a nationwide disaster”.

One yr later, authorities report The research discovered that 41% of married ladies had skilled bodily violence.

one Africa Knowledge Middle Survey The investigation discovered that between 2016 and 2023, greater than 500 murders of girls had been reported in Kenya.

“In 75 per cent of instances, the homicides had been dedicated by somebody who knew the murdered lady – an intimate accomplice, relative or pal,” the report states.

In a world the place sexism and inequality are rife, ladies and ladies of all backgrounds have been victims of femicide, stated Sunita Kaminya, UN Girls’s professional on eliminating violence towards ladies and ladies in East and Southern Africa of victims.

Africa had the most important share of the newest United Nations report on violence towards ladies and ladies, with 20,000 ladies murdered.

Lengthy-distance runner Joan Chelimo stated she was traumatized by Cheptegei’s killing.

“I could not sleep eager about folks being burned alive,” she added.

Cheptegei’s ex-partner later died from burns sustained through the assault on her.

Ms Chelimo is a co-founder of Angels of Tirop, which was shaped after the homicide of one other athlete, Agnes Tirop.

She stated Cheptegei reported the abuse she suffered to police however “nothing occurred”.

“So the perpetrators won’t be held accountable,” Ms Chelimo added.

Police denied that Cheptegei reported that her life was at risk.

Kenya has handed legal guidelines to handle gender-based violence, however critics say few concrete steps have been taken to deal with the scourge.

Judy Gitau, Africa regional director for Equality Now, stated: “Sadly, governments usually suppose that when they’ve a legislation, that’s it – not understanding that legal guidelines don’t implement themselves and that that’s it. It won’t be applied by itself.”

Jane stated her stories of abuse had been dismissed for years.

“Loads of instances, the police say these are home disputes. In truth, one policewoman I spoke to stated, ‘We will’t arrest him till he takes motion. I requested her: “Would you like him to kill me?” “

“He stabbed me the following day,” Jane recalled.

In 2004, Kenya established the Police Gender Equality Workplace to make it simpler for girls to report instances of gender-based violence and velocity up investigations.

Nevertheless, solely half of police stations have them. Police stated this was because of a scarcity of sources.

In Trans Nzoia, the place Cheptegei lives, there are 5 police stations however none have a gender equality workplace, stated Kennedy Apindi, the county’s head of prison investigations. One is situated on the county headquarters.

“So reporting these instances is an issue. They’re reported late or they don’t seem to be reported till you hear about them within the media, after which the police take motion,” he added.

Cheptegei is the third Kenyan feminine athlete to die up to now three years, allegedly by the hands of an intimate accomplice.

In 2021, simply 5 weeks after Agnes Tirop broke the world document for a 10km street run in Germany, she was discovered useless at residence.

The 25-year-old lady suffered a number of stab wounds to her neck and stomach.

Her accomplice, Ibrahim Rotich, was arrested by police in Changamwe, on the Kenyan coast, 640 kilometers (400 miles) away.

Three years after her homicide, the case continues to be earlier than the courts and Mr Rotich is out on bail. He has pleaded not responsible to the homicide cost.

Different instances have continued for years.

Ms Gito, who sits on the justice committee set as much as evaluation the timetable for instances involving gender-based violence, stated the delays had been unacceptable.

“GBV should be prioritized [gender-based violence],” she stated.

Simply six months after Tirop’s homicide, Kenyan-born Bahraini runner Damaris Muthee Mutua was discovered useless in Iten, a working middle in Kenya’s Rift Valley. at residence.

A police post-mortem revealed that the 28-year-old man had been strangled.

Nobody has been convicted of her homicide.

Police stated they had been on the lookout for her boyfriend in reference to the loss of life.

Like Cheptegei, each athletes had been stated to have quarreled with their companions over cash and property earlier than their deaths.

In lots of East African communities, gender-based violence is pushed by patriarchal concepts that place ladies in a subordinate place. Their independence is restricted and violence is normalized as a type of management.

Ms Guito known as for extra shelters for survivors.

“Deep down, our attitudes, the norms that we maintain as a rustic, nonetheless view ladies in a sure gentle,” she stated.

Ms Chelimo echoed related sentiments, saying the massive quantities of cash feminine athletes make or put together to make make them weak.

“They go towards conventional gender norms…Feminine athletes at the moment are changing into extra impartial, extra financially impartial, and the alternative intercourse may be very annoyed by this,” Ms Chelimo added.

The federal government stated it was conducting awareness-raising packages in addition to reviewing laws to handle gender-based violence.

“We do not need this to occur to some other lady, whether or not it is an athlete, somebody from a village or a younger woman. We want to ensure the gender police are doing their job,” stated Rachel Kamweru of Kenya’s Nationwide Gender Unit. Rachel Kamweru advised the BBC.

Jane stated her life was within the fingers of the federal government, which she hoped would do extra to guard ladies like her from ex-partners.

“So long as he’s free, I’ll by no means be at peace,” she stated.