By Ayomide Otitoju
As the world marked International Widows’ Day, Come Together Widows and Orphans Organization (CTWOO) and Equality Now have called on Kenya’s Parliament to pass the Widowed Persons Protection Bill, 2026, before the end of the current legislative session.
The proposed legislation, submitted to Parliament on May 12, 2026, as a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo, seeks to provide comprehensive legal protection for widowed persons against discrimination, dispossession, and harmful cultural practices.
The Bill was developed with contributions from CTWOO and Equality Now and aims to strengthen the rights of widows by guaranteeing protection from property confiscation, unlawful eviction, widow inheritance, widow cleansing, and other forms of abuse commonly experienced after the death of a spouse.
According to the organisations, widows in Kenya continue to face widespread discrimination despite existing constitutional guarantees of equality and property rights. Many are reportedly deprived of their homes, livelihoods, inheritance rights and, in some cases, custody of their children.
CTWOO Executive Director, Dr. Dianah Kamande, said the organisation recorded 139 widow-related cases in May 2026 alone, highlighting the scale of the problem and the urgent need for stronger legal safeguards.
Kamande, who founded CTWOO after experiencing discrimination and dispossession following the death of her husband, said widows often encounter systemic violations enabled by legal gaps, social pressure and harmful traditional practices.
“Every week, women come to CTWOO after losing their husbands and then their home, their dignity, sometimes even their children,” she said, adding that the proposed law would help distinguish between cultural practices that support communities and those that cause harm.
The proposed legislation seeks to consolidate protections currently scattered across succession, family and criminal laws into a single legal framework covering equality, dignity, inheritance, property rights, custody, health, privacy and digital safety.
If enacted, the Bill would criminalise coercive mourning rites, widow inheritance, forced marriage, unlawful property seizure, forced eviction from matrimonial homes and the removal of children from widowed parents. It would also outlaw harassment, false accusations linking widows to their spouses’ deaths and allegations of witchcraft used to justify dispossession.
In addition, the Bill proposes amendments to the Law of Succession Act to ensure widows retain inheritance rights even if they remarry and grants widows in polygamous marriages independent inheritance rights rather than treating them as part of a household unit.
The legislation also provides for the establishment of a Widowed Persons Protection Board to oversee implementation, investigate rights violations, support legal aid services and promote public awareness.
County governments would be required to establish emergency shelters, legal aid centres and support services for widowed persons facing homelessness or abuse.
Equality Now noted that the Bill aligns with Kenya’s obligations under the Maputo Protocol and the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), both of which require stronger protections for widows.
Deborah Nyokabi, a human rights lawyer with Equality Now, said the legislation could become the first dedicated law on widowed persons’ rights in Africa if passed.
“If enacted, Kenya’s Widowed Persons Protection Bill, 2026, would set a precedent as the first dedicated widowed persons’ rights law in Africa and provide a model for other countries facing similar challenges,” she said.
The organisations urged lawmakers to seize the opportunity to transform Kenya’s regional and international commitments into enforceable protections that safeguard widows from discrimination, abuse and economic deprivation.
Kamande called on Parliament to pass the Bill before the current session concludes, describing widowed women as “leaders, advocates and agents of change” whose rights and dignity deserve full legal protection.Copyright TRUSTAFRICA NEWS.
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