Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris found herself in the eye of the storm as protesters, rallying against the surge in femicide cases in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD), heckled and demanded that she goes home.
Passaris, who was delivering a speech addressing the growing concerns about femicide on Saturday, January 27, was abruptly whisked away by her bodyguards for her safety as the crowd grew increasingly rowdy.
They accused Passaris of maintaining silence over the alarming cases of violence against women in recent weeks and refused the lawmaker a platform to speak.
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The agitated protesters shouted in unison, "Where were you?"
"Where were you? Go home! Where were you!" the crowd chanted.
Passaris calls for Ruto to speak on femicide
In her speech before being whisked away, Passaris had urged President William Ruto to express his support in the fight against femicide.
The legislator acknowledged ODM leader Raila Odinga's condemnation of the killing of women and insisted that it is crucial for the President to also speak out.
She expressed the belief that the families of the murdered women should sense that the government is taking decisive action to address this alarming trend.
"I've talked to some Cabinet Secretaries and emphasized the need for the President's voice on this matter. I'm pleased that our party leader, Raila Odinga, addressed it. We require the President to do the same and recognize that the families affected by these brutal murders are going through immense trauma. They need assurance that the government is working on their behalf and that the President empathizes with their pain," Esther expressed.
Those who search; find - Passaris
On January 20, 2024, while responding to an X user's question concerning her role as a Woman Representative and the lack of a statement on the tragic incidents, Passaris provided an evasive response, stating that people find when they go looking.
"Those with ears; hear. Those with eyes; see. Those with mouths; taste. Those who search; find. Those who snooze; lose. Those who ask dumb questions; get smart answers," she declared.
The netizen had posed a direct question regarding Passaris's stance on the recent killings of young women in Nairobi County, where three women lost their lives.
"What is your position or statement on the killings of young people in our county Nairobi? Aren't you Woman rep for Nairobi County where nearly 5 women have so far died mysteriously?" the netizen inquired.
