Kenya is grappling with an escalating femicide crisis, prompting a powerful new social justice campaign, Project Red Lipstick. This initiative, developed by Ogilvy Africa in partnership with Usikimye and Joanna K Cosmetics, aims to raise national awareness and to advocate for the formal legal recognition of femicide as a distinct crime within Kenyan law.
At the heart of the movement is a bold and striking symbol: the red lipstick. More than just a cosmetic, it serves as a visual protest and a statement of resistance, remembrance for victims, and solidarity among those fighting gender-based violence.
Femicide, defined as the gender-related killing of women and girls, has seen a disturbing increase across Kenya. Despite widespread public outcry, current legal frameworks often fall short, leading to inadequate data collection, inconsistent prosecution, and a worrying sense of impunity. This lack of specific legal recognition for femicide means that the unique gendered nature and systemic patterns of these killings are not fully captured, hindering effective justice.
Usikimye has launched a national petition aiming to secure 100,000 signatures to formally declare femicide a distinct crime in Kenya accessible here change.org/declare-femicide-a-crime-in-kenya.
The overarching goal of Project Red Lipstick is to significantly contribute to the reduction and eventual elimination of femicide in Kenya. Key objectives include:
1. Raising Public Awareness: Elevating national consciousness about the severity, prevalence, and systemic nature of femicide as a distinct form of gender-based violence (GBV).
2. Challenging Harmful Narratives: Actively dismantling victim-blaming sentiments and promoting portrayals of women that uphold their dignity, agency, and fundamental human rights.
3. Advocating for Legal Recognition: Championing the formal recognition of femicide as a specific criminal offense within Kenyan law, ensuring appropriate legal recourse and accountability.
4. Fostering a Culture of Safety: Cultivating a societal environment characterized by gender equality, mutual respect, and zero tolerance for violence against women.
The campaign will achieve these through strategic social media engagement, influencer and media collaborations, community outreach, and targeted legal advocacy. A limited-edition Kenyan Flag Red lipstick, created in partnership with Joanna K Cosmetics, will be a central symbolic product, with a percentage of sales proceeds supporting community programs via Usikimye.
The memorandum submitted by Usikimye Organization to the Femicide Taskforce of Kenya, dated May 27, 2025, underscores the grim reality with chilling case studies that highlight the brutal and systemic nature of these killings. Each case paints a picture of lives tragically cut short, often with perpetrators remaining at large or justice proving elusive:
1. Masa Mayeshe (9 years old): Defiled, killed, and dumped after playing outside her home in March 2024. Her murderer is still at large.
2. Ruth Mwelu Mbula (69 years old): Raped, sodomized, and strangled to death in May 2025 while on her way to the market. No arrests have been made.
3. Charity Mukami Machira (30 years old): Found lifeless and bloody in her home in May 2025, hit multiple times on the head. Her husband, the prime suspect, is at large.
4. Naomi Chebet (31 years old): Found deceased with head injuries in her home. Her partner, who had a history of threats, is at large and had posted murder threats on social media.
5. Baby Wamaitha (3.5 years old): Defiled, strangled, and dumped in a dam in February 2025.
6. Lydia Tokesi (29 years old): Her mutilated body was discovered in Oloolua Forest in January 2025, a week after going missing. Her boyfriend, the suspect, is still at large.
7. Sylvia Kemunto (19 years old): A university student strangled by her boyfriend and found in a water tank in April 2025. The perpetrator surrendered.
8. Gaala Aden (17 years old): Forcibly married to a 55-year-old, she was beaten, stabbed, and her body burned. The murderer was arrested.
9. Teresa Kemunto (26 years old): Died from injuries sustained after being severely beaten by her husband. He was later arrested.
10. Tamara Blessing Kabura (7 years old): Raped, murdered, and buried in May 2024. The suspect was arrested.