A deserted homestead and a solitary grave in Kinangop are all that mark the life of Monica Muthoni. She was a mother of four, murdered by her husband in an act of gender-based violence (GBV) that highlights a deepening crisis gripping Nyandarua County, leaving children orphaned and a community in shock.

This is not an isolated tragedy. It is the brutal face of a county grappling with alarming rates of violence behind closed doors. The story of Muthoni’s family, whose eldest son now struggles to support his three younger siblings, underscores the devastating ripple effect of a problem that leaders warn is escalating beyond their capacity to respond.

The Scale of the Crisis

Nyandarua is facing a significant GBV challenge. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, the county's statistics paint a grim picture compared to national averages:

• Lifetime Physical Violence: 24% of women aged 15-49 in Nyandarua have experienced physical violence, compared to the national figure of 34%. While lower than the national total, local leaders report an overwhelming number of cases.
• Intimate Partner Violence: 34% of ever-married women in the county have suffered physical, sexual, or emotional violence from their most recent partner.
• Recent Sexual Violence: 7% of women in Nyandarua experienced sexual violence in the last 12 months, matching the national average and indicating a persistent threat.

An older government-funded study, the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey, had previously shown that in 2016, nearly three in ten people (27.6%) in Nyandarua required hospital treatment for injuries from domestic fights, a figure sixteen times the national average of 1.7% at the time.

Unravelling the Root Causes

Leaders and community members point to a toxic mix of socio-economic pressures and substance abuse as primary drivers of the violence. Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau has directly linked nearly every GBV case to alcohol or drug abuse, questioning the continued licensing of bars in rural homesteads which makes alcohol easily accessible. This is compounded by underlying issues prevalent across Kenya, including poverty, unemployment, and deeply ingrained patriarchal beliefs that normalize violence against women.

The pressure is immense on families. When economic stability is threatened, especially in agricultural communities dependent on fluctuating incomes, tensions can escalate into violence. In Muthoni's case, her son recounted a long history of violence, noting that even after his father was arrested for a previous assault, societal and church pressure urged forgiveness, a common barrier for survivors seeking justice.

A System Under Strain

The official response is struggling to keep up. The office of the Woman Representative, a key local resource for victims, admits it is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cases and relies heavily on well-wishers to support orphaned children with education and housing. This strain reflects a national challenge where survivors face significant barriers. Many do not report incidents due to fear of stigma, economic dependency on the abuser, or a lack of faith in the justice system.

While Kenya has legal frameworks like the Sexual Offences Act and a national hotline (1195) for reporting, enforcement and access to support services remain inconsistent. For the children of Monica Muthoni, support has come from their uncle and the Woman Representative's office, which pays the university fees for the eldest son, Michael Kamau. But for countless others, the path to safety and justice is unclear.

“What breaks my heart is that children suffer the most,” Ms. Gitau emphasized, highlighting the generational trauma inflicted by the violence. Her words are a stark reminder of the hidden victims in Nyandarua's escalating crisis.