Justice for Keziah, Sherry, and Amelia

In recent days, Kenya has once again been confronted with the devastating reality of violence against girls, a reality that is no longer confined to adult women, but is now claiming the lives of children. What we are witnessing is not just violence. It is the killing of girls in its most disturbing form, with acts that range from child femicide to homicide and filicide, reaching into childhood and cutting short lives before they even begin.

Just days ago, eight-year-old Keziah Matuki, a pupil at Little Angels in Kilifi, disappeared from her home in Mwenzagombe, Bofa. Her family searched through the day and into the night, calling her name, holding onto hope that she would return. But hope gave way to horror when her body was discovered the following day, dumped by the roadside near Saint Patrick. The condition in which she was found told a story of unspeakable brutality. She had been defiled, her small body broken, injured, bleeding, and left naked. Keziah had left home as a child, full of life, and was returned as evidence of a crime. Her family now stands in grief, asking for justice, while a nation struggles to comprehend how such violence could be inflicted on a child.

Earlier this year, a tragedy from Tharaka Nithi came into sharper focus. Three-year-old Sherry Gatumi disappeared from her home in Iriani Village on April 22, 2026. Her father had left briefly for the shamba, only to receive a message that his daughter was missing. What followed was a desperate search led not by institutions, but by ordinary people. Neighbors combed through forests, bushes, and even latrines, while authorities reportedly failed to respond with urgency. For a week, the family searched, holding onto the possibility that she might still be alive. When her body was finally found in a nearby farm, that hope was extinguished. The signs of violence were severe, leaving behind more questions than answers. To this day, her family waits, not only to bury their child, but to understand why help did not come when it was needed most.

Then came the story of Baby Amelia, only six months old. A life still at its very beginning, dependent, vulnerable, and entirely innocent. After an argument over money, her father took her from her mother. Hours later, she was found lifeless on the floor. In this case, the violence did not come from a stranger, but from within the home itself, a reminder that for many girls, danger is not distant, but deeply personal. Her death leaves behind not only grief, but a chilling question about how such acts occur and how perpetrators manage to evade immediate accountability.

These stories are not isolated. They are connected by a painful and undeniable truth. This is violence against girls and children, taking forms that include femicide, child homicide, and filicide. At its core, it reflects the systematic loss of female lives, driven by power, control, and deep-rooted societal failures. And increasingly, it is reaching younger victims, turning what should be years of growth, laughter, and discovery into silence and mourning.

What we are witnessing is the killing of young people, the erasure of young dreams before they have the chance to take shape. Keziah will never return to school. Sherry will never grow beyond childhood. Amelia will never learn to speak her first words. These are not just deaths; they are futures stolen, possibilities erased, and families forever changed.

There is also a deeper, more uncomfortable truth emerging from these tragedies: this reflects violence against girls that, in some cases, intersects with femicide and extends into extreme forms of child homicide and filicide. When girls, even in infancy and early childhood, are subjected to such extreme violence, it signals a crisis that goes beyond individual acts. It points to systemic gaps in protection, accountability, and societal attitudes toward the value of female lives.

In the face of this reality, silence is no longer neutral. It becomes part of the problem.

Across the country, voices are rising, calling for justice for Keziah, for Sherry, for Amelia, and for all the girls whose stories may never make headlines. In the midst of grief, a groundswell of activism is emerging. Activists on online platforms and in public spaces are demanding justice, refusing to let these names fade into silence. These voices are demanding action, accountability, and a commitment to ensure that no child is left unprotected.

What must happen now is clear. Investigations must be swift, transparent, and thorough. Any form of negligence within institutions must be addressed without delay. Systems meant to protect children must be strengthened, resourced, and held accountable to the communities they serve. And as a society, there must be a collective refusal to normalize or overlook violence against girls in any form.

Because a nation is ultimately defined by how it protects its most vulnerable.

And today, Kenya is being called to confront a painful truth: that violence against girls is no longer confined to adulthood. It is taking many forms, including femicide, child homicide, and filicide, reaching into childhood and taking daughters before they have the chance to become anything at all.

Today, We speak their names.

We remember their lives.

And we demand a future where no girl is born into the possibility of becoming a headline.

#JusticeForKeziah

#JusticeForSherry

#JusticeForAmelia