KENYA’S LEGAL RESPONSES TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN IN THE CONTEXT OF FAMILY

Abstract

Since the promulgation of Kenya’s Constitution in 2010, the country has made progress towards addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and has passed legislation to address various forms of family violence. This paper however argues that while Kenya’s anti-GBV legal framework has been progressive in its recognition of and responses to family violence, it still has limitations which affect women specifically and the family in general. Using a textual and socio-legal analysis of statutes and case law to assess how Kenya’s legal responses to GBV have evolved since 2010, this paper demonstrates how the weaknesses Kenya’s anti GBV framework affects women in the context of the family.