THE ‘CURSE’ OF THE GIRL CHILD

A few years ago, I co-wrote a piece with Sarah Ochwada examining “the historical, political and legal effects of sexual identity and sexism in the development of women’s sports.”

Five years on, virtually nothing has changed. In 2023, I was asked — on behalf of Snolegal — to feature in a video discussing the murder of world-class athlete Agnes Tirop, who was killed by her partner in 2021.

In 2024, only three years later, Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei was murdered by her partner just a month after she represented her country at the Paris Olympics, reportedly over a land dispute.

We can speculate forever, but one thing is painfully clear: these women — successful, respected, internationally celebrated athletes — were murdered by their male partners, driven by greed, control, or jealousy.

While discussing this with my peers, one of them said something that cut to the bone:

“If female world-star athletes cannot be protected, then who are we?”

Kenya is no stranger to concerns about women’s safety. In December 2024, activists from across the country staged the End Femicide marches in solidarity with the girls and women who have fallen victim to gender-based violence (GBV). Although the official numbers are unclear, it is safe to say that the victims of GBV and femicide number in the thousands.

Yet even during a march meant to demand safety and justice, participants were met with police violence and teargas — despite having been cleared to hold the protest (a very known troupe in Kenya). Although the protestors were dispersed, as we entered 2026, the signs of GBV and femicide showed no signs of slowing down.

So, that begs the question, who protects us, when we are not even allowed to protect ourselves?