The Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA) revealed on Thursday its intention to organize nationwide demonstrations in protest against the recent surge in femicide cases.
KESWA National Coordinator Phelister Abdalla confirmed the upcoming demonstrations, emphasizing their purpose to raise awareness about the escalating femicide cases. Abdalla noted that the protests would involve a significant number of women, addressing femicide as a broader issue affecting various categories of women.
“As sex workers, we are calling on all women to march because we also face femicide in our work,” stated the KESWA Coordinator.
In Nairobi, the protests are set to take place at Jevanjee Gardens starting from January 27. Abdalla highlighted that the demonstrations also aim to push the government to provide security for sex workers.
The call for protests from KESWA comes in the wake of the recent murder of 20-year-old Rita Waeni, whose body was found in a short-stay accommodation in Roysambu, Nairobi County, on January 15.
Waeni, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), was allegedly lured to her death by a foreign national.
On January 6, a similar incident occurred when the lifeless body of Instagram model Starlet Wahu was discovered at an apartment in Nairobi’s South B Estate.
While suspects linked to the murders have been arrested or arraigned, investigations are ongoing to uncover more details about these tragic incidents. Several women’s organizations, including The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) and The Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA), have expressed concern over the increasing femicide cases.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga also condemned the murders and called for heightened security across the country.
