Bungoma, Kenya – The government has intensified efforts to tackle the growing threat of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) as concerns rise over its link to increasing cases of femicide and online abuse across the country.
Speaking during the opening of the 2nd National Conference on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence at Kibabii University in Bungoma, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya said the forum targets students from universities and tertiary institutions, who are key stakeholders in combating digital violence.
Mvurya noted that the surge in femicide cases reported across Kenya is increasingly being driven by abuse that begins or is amplified through digital platforms.
“Through this engagement, we have been able to note that there is a rise in the number of gender-based violence cases facilitated through digital spaces, targeting everyone, including cyberbullying,” he said.
The former Kwale governor said the conference provides a critical platform to address emerging challenges, including ending gender-based violence enabled by technology.
He added that the government has strengthened the legal framework through recent amendments to the Computer and Cybercrimes Act to enhance protection for Kenyans and deter perpetrators.
“We have put in place legislation to deter these crimes, basically to strengthen results and ensure we protect all Kenyans on matters of gender-based violence,” he added.
Mvurya emphasized that universities and tertiary institutions were deliberately chosen for the engagement due to their critical role in sensitization and prevention, warning that many cases of femicide have been linked to young people in learning institutions.
He urged Kenyans to speak out against gender-based violence as the country marked the Sixteen Days of Activism, calling on citizens to use digital platforms responsibly.
“Let us use the digital space as an enabler, not as a tool to promote crime,” he said, while revealing that the government is expanding fibre optic infrastructure to all wards nationwide.
The CS also warned politicians against using young people to launch online attacks against opponents, saying such actions fuel violence and misinformation in digital spaces.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) praised President William Ruto’s administration for putting measures in place to address the escalating cases of gender-based violence and femicide.
In a statement, the Commission warned that GBV, especially femicide, is “eating away at the fabric of society”, undermining social cohesion, perpetuating fear and inequality, and threatening national development in education, economic empowerment and public health.
Statistics paint a grim picture:
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According to the 2023 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, over 11 million women (about 20% of the population) have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner.
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A UNODC and UN Women report shows that 55% of femicides are committed by current or former intimate partners.
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The Africa Data Hub recorded 930 cases of female murders in Kenya between January 2016 and December 2024, with 77% of perpetrators being intimate partners or family members.
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In 2024 alone, 127 femicide cases were reported, while police recorded 97 cases between September and November 2024.
Cases have continued into 2025, with the country recently witnessing public outrage following the murder of a 17-year-old refugee girl allegedly killed by her husband.
Also present at the Bungoma conference was Harriet Chiggai, the Presidential Advisor on Women’s Rights, who called on Kenyans to boldly speak out and actively fight technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
The government and stakeholders are now urging a whole-of-society approach to ensure digital spaces are used to empower, protect and unite communities rather than enable violence.
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