Somali Families in Eastleigh Grapple with the Impact of Unresolved Femicides in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya (AX) — An enormous wave of sadness has swept through Eastleigh, Nairobi, as the Somali community grapples with the tragic murders of three females from one family, found in separate parts of Kenya. Discovered on a Monday, the lifeless bodies of Waris Daud, her 22-year-old daughter Amina Abdirashid, and her 12-year-old niece Nuseiba Dahir, have left a trail of grief and unanswered questions. The trio vanished from their Eastleigh abode late Sunday night, never to return.
The grim event has captured nationwide attention, drawing sharp criticism from political figures and human rights advocates who decry the startling increase in femicide throughout the region.
The mysterious ordeal began when Waris ventured out to a hospital, driven by illness, and failed to come back. Subsequently, Amina and Nuseiba embarked on a search, a journey from which they never returned.
The discovery of their bodies has been a jarring shock to the community. Found in disparate locales—Waris in Machakos, 60 kilometers from Nairobi amidst grotesque violence and disfigurement; Amina’s body in the Parklands area; while young Nuseiba was discovered in Bahati, Nairobi. Outrage ripples nationwide as their community struggles to comprehend these heinous acts.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) swiftly initiated a probe, with detectives scrutinizing CCTV footage capturing Amina and Nuseiba entering a cab on their ill-fated night. Nairobi County’s head cop Adamson Bungei expressed, “We’re pulling on various threads and engaging possible eyewitnesses, though the motive still eludes us.” It is suspected their tragic end occurred away from the initial discovery sites.
Overcome with sorrow, their families gathered at Nairobi City Mortuary to confirm their worst fears. Their torment was tangible. “We’re baffled by this horror. What we seek is justice and safeguarding,” implored Sumeya Noor, kin to the victims.
This unparalleled brutality has raised alarms over the escalating femicide rates within Kenya. Over merely three days, six women have encountered similar violent ends under shadowy circumstances, urging politicians and advocacy groups to demand immediate intervention.
Elected officials have rallied behind urgent justice. Nairobi’s Senator Edwin Sifuna remarked, “With abductions and homicides on the rise, safety feels like a mirage,” while Eastleigh’s representative Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan lamented the event as a communal calamity, insisting, “The Eastleigh populace is heartbroken. We hunger for truth and swift, protective measures from authorities.”
Among the fervent voices, human rights groups like the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) vociferously condemned these brutal acts. “Enough is enough! The safety of women and girls is teetering on the brink. Its high time the government steps up to defend us,” declared FIDA Chairperson Christine Kungu.
FIDA seeks greater inspection and the channeling of resources to identify and prosecute offenders of gender-based violence. Their call to action presses the Inspector General of Police to vocally prioritize the safety of females in Kenya.
The Somali collective in Eastleigh, a significant diaspora enclave, pervaded with trepidation as inquiries endure. Their unease grows with notions of gender-targeted aggression against Somalis in Kenya. Such fears intensified after Somali-Kenyan politician Yusuf Hussein Ahmed’s body was uncovered, 40 days post-abduction, back in September.
Noor voiced a prevailing sentiment: “These scenarios are reoccurring; justice and safety for our families remain elusive.”
Ahmed’s demise, reportedly suspecting involvement by state entities, has sown seeds of dread that Somali figures and community folks could be in the crosshairs.
Kenya has witnessed a disturbing surge in disappearances and unlawful deaths in recent years, disproportionately afflicting communities like the Somalis. Humanitarian watchdogs have long repudiated this unsettling trajectory, clamoring for transparency and security measures.
As Waris, Amina, and Nuseiba’s relatives prepare to lay them to rest as dictated by Islamic conventions, they stand firm in their quest for justice. The Somali community perseveres in mourning, grappling with their agony and the looming specter of insecurity in a nation where, as Sifuna starkly noted, “no one is safe until we all are.”
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
