Women march through Mombasa CBD during protests against femicide and gender-based
violence while demanding justice for victims and stronger protection for women
and girls on May 22, 2026 / JOHN CHESOLIHundreds of women marched through the Mombasa Central Business District on Friday, demanding urgent government action to address a rising wave of femicide and gender-based violence (GBV) across the country.
The demonstrators carried placards calling for justice for victims, accountability and protection for women, with several placards demanding implementation of the Mombasa County Sexual and Gender-Based Violence policy.
Protester walked through the city holding a bright red placard reading “Where is Mombasa SGBV Policy?” as others behind her carried similar signs, turning the march into a collective demand for institutional action against violence targeting women and girls.
At the centre of the procession was a large banner reading “End Femicide Mombasa,” printed alongside the image of a weeping woman, a black heart and a red handprint symbolising pain, loss and resistance.
The banner also carried the message: “Our Voice. Our Steps. Our Future. Together, we can.”
Some protesters carried portraits and names of women killed in suspected femicide cases, including placards demanding “Justice for Farida Kadzo” and another honouring Susan Mito with the words “Bright future taken,” a reminder of lives cut short by violence.
The march also carried a strong activist message, with one protester wearing a shirt declaring “I’m an activist and proud of it,” while another held a handwritten placard reading: “When women are killed because they are women, society must stop calling it murder. Start calling it femicide.”
As the procession intensified, the women staged a symbolic “die-in” in the middle of the road, lying on the tarmac to represent victims lost to violence.
The emotional demonstration transformed parts of the city into a scene of grief, defiance and solidarity, with protesters insisting that behind every statistic is a daughter, mother, sister or friend whose life mattered.
Women march through Mombasa CBD during protests against femicide and gender-based
violence while demanding justice for victims and stronger protection for women
and girls on May 22, 2026 / JOHN CHESOLI
Women protests against femicide and gender-based
violence while demanding justice for victims and stronger protection for women
and girls on May 22 / JOHN CHESOLI
Women protest against femicide and gender-based
violence while demanding justice for victims and stronger protection for women
and girls on May 22, 2026 / JOHN CHESOLI
Women march protest against femicide and gender-based
violence while demanding justice for victims and stronger protection for women
and girls on May 22, 2026 / JOHN CHESOLI
Women protest against femicide and gender-based
violence while demanding justice for victims and stronger protection for women
and girls on May 22, 2026 / JOHN CHESOLI
