A report from the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence data reveals that a majority of Kenyan women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence. But as we move past the shock of that, the county-by-county breakdown takes the conversation from a national issue to a localised crisis of culture, policy, and safety. This isn’t just a data point; it is a map of where it is safest and most dangerous to be a woman in Kenya today.
To spark a real discussion, we need to look beyond the percentages and ask why there are geographic disparities.
Culture versus reporting
The data often shows significant spikes in specific regions, counties like Bungoma, Murang’a, or Homa Bay frequently appear at the top of these lists, while others in the North Eastern region show much lower rates.
This raises the critical question of whether a low percentage in a county like Mandera or Wajir indicates a safer environment or simply a culture of silence in which reporting is deeply stigmatised.
If we celebrate low-violence counties without interrogation, we risk abandoning women who are suffering in silence, while failing to recognise that high-ranking counties might actually be ahead because their women feel empowered enough to speak up.
Normalisation of the justified blow
One of the most jarring aspects underlying is the percentage of both women and men who believe physical violence is justified under certain circumstances, such as burning food or neglecting children.
We must consider whether legislation like the Sexual Offences Act can truly work when the court of public opinion, in certain counties, still views domestic discipline as a private, justifiable matter.
It suggests that efforts on policing violence might be a losing battle if we aren’t simultaneously deconstructing the definition of a good wife or a disciplined home in our rural and urban social circles.
Myth of economic safety
The data also highlights that while wealth and education offer some protection, they are not a total shield, as women with higher education still report significant levels of violence.
We often frame Gender-Based Violence as an issue rooted in poverty, but the data suggest it is more accurately a power issue. This forces us to confront why the risk of violence persists even when a woman’s economic status improves, and whether a woman’s rising status actually increases her risk by threatening traditional patriarchal power dynamics.
We have to ask if we are preparing men for a world where women are their economic equals or if the home remains a site of resistance to that progress.
County leadership and local accountability
Since health and social services are devolved, the county has become the primary unit of protection for its citizens. It is striking to see such wide variance between neighboring counties with similar cultural backgrounds, which points toward a need for direct accountability from local leadership.
We should be asking our Governors what is specifically in their budgets for safe houses and whether the gender desks in their local police stations are actually manned by trained, empathetic officers. If a county remains a red zone on this map, the conversation must shift toward what the specific plan is to turn it green.
Why this matters now
This report isn’t just for activists but for every Kenyan who lives in these 47 counties. When one in three women is being hit, it means the person sitting next to you in church, the woman selling you vegetables, or your own sister is likely living a double life. We need to evaluate which county’s data is the most surprising and whether these numbers represent an accurate reflection of our communities or a massive underrepresentation.
Ultimately, we must identify the specific cultural norms in our own home counties that contribute most to these statistics if we are ever to move the needle toward safety for all.
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