Interior Cabinet Secretary nominee Kithure Kindiki has acknowledged the worrying trend of femicide incidents in the country.
Speaking when he appeared for vetting in Parliament on Thursday, Kindiki blamed it on gaps in the security system.
Kindiki emphasised the urgent need for reforms to better protect vulnerable populations.
"We have critical gaps, especially at the lower levels of our policing and security apparatus, the National Intelligence Service and the National Police Service and also NGAO," he said.
He said these gaps need closing to avoid cases such as the Kware killings which he termed as a great breach of women's security in the country.
On July 10, several female bodies were recovered wrapped in sacks dumped in a dumpsite in Mukuru slums, Nairobi.
Following autopsy, the government pathologist Johansen Oduor revealed that most of the bodies were female and succumbed to severe head injuries.
Previously many femicide cases have been reported in the country, causing women leaders to propose that the vice be declared a national disaster.
Data from Africa Data Hub shows that femicide is not just a 2024 problem, but there have been more than 500 cases reported since 2016.
In the majority of cases, the murderer was a friend, relative, or intimate partner of the murdered woman.
The bulk of killings were committed by intimate partners and family members, with spouses and boyfriends being the most common offenders.
The perpetrators justify their actions by saying that they were angered by the victims.
President William Ruto nominated Kindiki back to the Interior Ministry after dismissing his entire Cabinet.
Five CSs are set to face the vetting panel this Thursday.
