00:00This is Lina Kenyua's 10-year-old daughter, Mary Wambui.
00:04She would have turned 13.
00:06But three years ago, Mary was playing outside her home in Nairobi.
00:10When Mary didn't come home for supper, her mother Kenyua went looking.
00:15A neighbor's child had seen Mary enter the house of the landlord's adult son.
00:30Mattress, aina kitu.
00:33Kapa chini, kumeja andamo, maji.
00:39Kukukumeja maji, na vitu zimetapaka.
00:42Hivya alafu kwa kiti, kama hii ama hii.
00:46Alikuwa na vituitu hivyo.
00:47Zikuwa zimeekua mblanketi.
00:51Na seoni Mary.
00:53So, keanye nilifeja na kukua na stima.
00:55Kitu nilifeja nilifungwa mlango.
01:25The landlord's son is now facing
01:27trial for sexual assault and murdering Mary. In Kenya, cases like Mary's and those of
01:34other women and girls have become far too common. In early 2024, Africa Data Hub and Africa Uncensored
01:42reported a record number of femicides. Thousands protested in Nairobi's streets.
01:47The government responded by establishing a task force to address the rising femicide numbers.
01:54We are losing about 40 women per month to femicide. That is a very, very alarming figure.
02:04It is a very shocking figure. And that is why this action has been taken by the head of state.
02:11Njeri Migwi runs Usikimye, meaning don't be silent in Kiswahili, one of Kenya's most vocal NGOs on femicide.
02:20She wants more fundamental support for women at the point where the crimes are being reported.
02:27We need to have a lot of psychosocial support all the way from the minute you report to the police
02:32station. The person who should be receiving you shouldn't even be a police officer. You should be
02:36a psychologist who walks you through your trauma. And then by the time you're able to speak up,
02:41you can be able to report properly.
02:43To increase awareness about femicide and gender-based violence, Usikimye organized an exhibition which
02:50they've been taking around Kenya. The symbolic blood-stained dresses, the cold and inviting
02:56gender desk at the police station, and a grave to honor the victims are hard to stomach. But the real
03:03experiences are even more jarring. At the opening, Mary's mother shared her story.
03:28After three years, Mary's case is finally in court. And while it has been a painstakingly long process,
03:36Lena hopes for some sort of justice. But the pain of losing a child will always stay with her.
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