Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has urged President William Ruto to step in and control the rapid growth of low-budget, short-stay facility centers in Kenya.
The facilities, popularly known as bnbs, are rapidly replacing traditional hotels as customers opt to lodge in them due to their low prices. Typically, a bnb is a rented, fully equipped home with minimal amenities, where guests pay only for the stay and have the option to cook their own meals.
However, Nyong’o warns that these spaces have increasingly become hotspots linked to femicide cases.
Speaking at the funeral of former Karachuonyo MP Phoebe Asiyo, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o claimed that killers are exploiting the affordability of short-stay accommodations to target women.
He urged President William Ruto to introduce nationwide regulations for the sector, warning that the issue had become a serious problem in Kisumu County.
“There is something happening in Kenya that is extremely dangerous, which I’m sure Phoebe Asiyo would have stood up against and campaigned to do something about by the government. This is called femicide. If you have been reading the papers or listening to the radio or watching television, femicide is increasing in Kenya at a geometric progression, and we have a theory in Kisumu County that the increase in femicide is closely associated with the increase of bnbs.
“I don’t know whether you know that. So Mr. President, let us have strict control of the opening the bnbs to be strongly controlled and accounted for. Because otherwise this femicide will continue under the guise of people going to bnbs. I’m sorry, I might be very strong about this, but in Kisumu we have noticed this phenomenon. And I hope it is not as serious elsewhere as it is in Kisumu,” Nyong’o said.
Femicide has been a growing crisis in Kenya. A July report revealed that at least 129 women were killed in the first three months of 2025 alone.
Data from the National Police Service (NPS) and National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) indicated that 43 women were murdered in January, 42 in February, and 44 in March. The Rift Valley, Eastern, and Western regions recorded the highest death tolls. Men were responsible for 85% of the killings, women for 10%, and in half of the cases, the murders stemmed from domestic disputes. Most victims knew their attackers.
In January, President Ruto established a 42-member task force to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including the rise in femicide. The team is chaired by former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Barasa.
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