National Security Council women find it imperative to voice their opinions without reservation
In the face of a growing femicide crisis in Kenya, calls for an explicit law on femicide have intensified. The crime, which has been defined as the killing of women because they are women, requires a comprehensive response from the government and its key bodies, such as the National Security Council (NSC).
The NSC, established by Article 240 of the Kenyan Constitution, consists of the President, Deputy President, several Cabinet Secretaries, the Chief of Kenya Defence Forces, the Attorney-General, the Director-General National Intelligence Service, and the Inspector-General of the National Police Service. Notable members of the NSC include Monica Juma, the National Security Advisor to the President and a seasoned diplomat who has served in the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Soipan Tuya, the Cabinet Secretary for Defence. Agnes Shikuku, the Deputy Director-General of Kenya's National Intelligence Service, and Dorcas Oduor, the Attorney-General of Kenya, are also members of the NSC.
However, during the femicide crisis of 2024, the political class in Kenya was often criticized for remaining silent, offering only hashtags and hollow committees. Despite this, the broader institutional context suggests that women played important roles in shaping security and peace efforts.
The African Union (AU) prioritizes Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) frameworks, pushing for inclusive leadership and women’s empowerment in security decisions continent-wide. A 2025 AU workshop reinforced commitments to increase women's leadership and strengthen monitoring of gender-sensitive security policies. Kenya has also been recognized for sending all-women peacekeeper contingents on international missions, reflecting efforts to break gender barriers in security sectors.
UN Women Kenya’s 2025 report highlights progress in increasing women’s leadership, political participation, and engagement in peace and security efforts within Kenya. Although not explicitly about the NSC or the 2024 femicide crisis, these inclusive gender policies and frameworks imply that women likely had a growing and supported role in Kenya’s security governance during crises, possibly including femicide response.
However, no specific information was found about women’s direct involvement in Kenya’s NSC during the 2024 femicide crisis or their precise actions or influence within that council. The trending topic related to this article is the Femicide Crisis in Kenya, where at least 80 cases were reported in 2024 alone, with many more unreported. Women are demanding security of the person, as guaranteed by Article 29 of the Kenyan Constitution, which is being broken daily. Many women in Kenya are murdered after being lured through digital platforms or failing to receive help from the police.
As the fight against femicide continues, the role of women in Kenya’s national security remains a critical issue. The recent performance of the Technical Working Group on Femicide, a body tasked with addressing the issue, is a reminder that women’s lives should not be treated as expendable in a political culture that often prioritizes infrastructure over the safety and security of its citizens.
- The African Union (AU) advocates for Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) frameworks, emphasizing the importance of women's leadership and empowerment in security decisions continent-wide, which could potentially have impacted women's roles in Kenya's National Security Council (NSC) during crises, such as the 2024 femicide crisis.
- UN Women Kenya's 2025 report indicates progress in increasing women's leadership and political participation in peace and security efforts within Kenya, implying that women may have had a growing and supported role in Kenya's security governance during crises, potentially including the femicide response.
- The role of women in Kenya's national security, particularly during crisis situations like the 2024 femicide crisis, remains a critical issue as women demand security of the person, a right guaranteed by Article 29 of the Kenyan Constitution, which is being broken daily.
- As the fight against femicide continues, the influence and contributions of women within key bodies, such as the NSC, during the 2024 femicide crisis are yet to be documented, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach to women's mental health, health-and-wellness, and general-news coverage of their roles in crime-and-justice and politics.
