I have heard several people make suggestions that we need to legislate laws that address the issue of femicide. The reality is that already there is an existing law on homicide that addresses the issue of femicide.
Penal Code section 204 states that anyone found guilty of murder, robbery with violence, treason, and other capital offenses shall be hanged.
Murder and manslaughter are forms of unlawful homicide as illustrated under criminal law. Murder involves the unlawful termination of life as a result of malice. It has elements of an unlawful act causing death, malice, and death occurring within one year of the act.
In essence on matters of legislation, I find this to be quite comprehensive in addressing the femicide vice. However, the question is whether our lawmakers need to take another step in legislating a new law that deals with the specificity of femicide.
On the other hand, when we talk about mental health, Kenya has made headway regarding this topic. This is after the Kenyan senate unanimously passed the Mental Health Amendment Bill on June 21, 2022. This Act is a landmark development for health, well-being, and human rights in Kenya.
Legislators serve the core purpose of representation, legislation, and oversight. They need to be at the forefront of addressing this issue of femicide. For instance, legislating and amending the mental health bill was not enough. Concerted efforts of representation and oversight need to be put into place to ensure that the intricacies of the amended bill are effectively realized.
No life deserves to be lost as a result of femicide. We elect our leaders so that they can effectively represent us and be our voice.
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