Kenya observed the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on Friday, as demands for justice, reparations and support intensified for thousands of survivors still affected by election-related and protest-related sexual violence.
Human rights group Utu Wetu held a march calling for the rights of survivors of post-election sexual violence, saying many have still not received adequate compensation, rehabilitation or psychosocial support despite years of documented sexual and gender-based violence during political unrest.
The march drew men, women and children who moved through Nairobi under the theme of justice, dignity and survivors’ rights in addressing conflict-related sexual violence.
Organisers sought to raise public awareness and strengthen survivor-centred advocacy on conflict-related sexual violence, while encouraging dialogue on justice, accountability, reparations and institutional responsibility.
The annual observance on June 19 recognises victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and highlights the measures needed to prevent such abuses and support those affected.
“Today, we join the rest of the world in honouring the thousands of victims here in Kenya, most of whom are women and girls, but also including men and boys who have suffered different forms of sexual violence in political and election-related violence in Kenya,” transitional justice expert Christine Alai said.
Alai said conflict-related sexual violence remains a reality in Kenya and has been recorded during election violence, political unrest and protests.
She said many survivors still carry the weight of the abuses years after they occurred.
“For these thousands of victims, the state has yet to intervene to provide any form of acknowledgement, recognition, restitution, rehabilitation or psychosocial support,” she said.
Kenya’s experience with conflict-related sexual violence came into sharp focus during the 2007-08 post-election violence, when more than 1,100 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced, according to a report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
Research carried out after the violence found a sharp rise in sexual violence during the crisis.
The findings showed that election-related sexual violence increased more than 60-fold during the violence compared with the period before the disputed election.
“Half of households interviewed reported experiencing at least one physical or sexual human rights violation linked to the post-election period,” the report stated.
Women and girls were disproportionately affected, although men and boys were also subjected to sexual violence.
A review of 1,615 sexual assault cases reported at health facilities in Eldoret, Nakuru and Naivasha between 2007 and 2011 further recorded the scale of abuse during and after the violence.
Efforts to secure accountability for survivors have taken years to progress through the courts.
In a landmark ruling in 2020, the High Court held that the government had failed to conduct effective investigations and prosecutions of sexual and gender-based violence committed during the post-election violence.
Alai said the country now has a chance to address some long-standing concerns through a reparations framework recently submitted to President William Ruto by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
The framework was developed after a presidential directive to create a compensation mechanism for victims of protest-related violations committed between 2017 and 2025.
According to Alai, the framework proposes several reparative measures, including compensation, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, public acknowledgement and accountability mechanisms.
She said the framework offers an opportunity for thousands of victims who have been waiting for relief.
She nevertheless urged authorities to ensure the process remains survivor-centred and responsive to victims’ needs.
Alai also called for wider implementation of recommendations in the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission report, saying survivors of earlier violence should not be left behind as the country considers compensation for more recent victims.
She further urged the state and other stakeholders to strengthen measures aimed at preventing future violations, especially as the country approaches another election cycle.
She said the aim was to recognise victims who have remained resilient, continued to advocate and amplified their voices amid difficult political circumstances.