The women of Nyeri have mobilised to honour the late Ivy Wangechi through a candle light vigil in Nyeri town, as preparations for her burial on Thursday are underway. The vigil is set to take place on Wednesday at 7 p.m to 10p.m.
Led by Ms Waruguru Kiai and Wanjru Mugo, the women intend to highlight the recent cases of violence against women through the vigil.
“As a country, there seems to be an attempt to justify the deaths of young women which is unacceptable. These are human beings and there is no reason anyone should take a life,” said Ms Kiai.
She added that there was an attempt to normalise the death of women by coming up with excuses as to why they deserve to die yet every life is precious.“Women’s lives matter, and there is no reason why anyone should take a life no matter the reason given,” she explained.
This comes in the wake of a stabbed Pwani University student by her boyfriend, which took place on the same week that Ivy Wangechi was hacked to death by her jilted lover Naftali Kinuthia. The two are reported to simply be a fraction of the many cases of violence against women in Kenya.
Ivy Wangechi is set to be buried in Othaya Constituency of Nyeri County on Thursday, April 18.
Her death has for days made headlines, spurring debates online and on mainstream media.
“It is painful and sad to imagine that a young woman can be murdered in broad daylight by a young man and the first thing that some Kenyans do is label her names such as ‘slay queen’ and attempt to justify it,” Murang’a MP Sabina Chege noted, while at Nyeri town with other female MPs, seeking that youths should be advised by elders and parents.