A grainy video filmed in Narok County has ignited a storm of anger across Kenya. It shows a pregnant woman, known only as Lepeita, being savagely beaten with sticks by three men. Her crime, according to neighbours: she had refused to marry the man her brothers had chosen for her.
The assault took place in Nkareta, a rural area in Narok North. In the footage, Lepeita’s mother can be heard begging her sons to stop. They ignore her, raining blows on their sister as she struggles to shield her unborn child.
“This is barbaric. It cannot be tolerated,” said Rebecca Tonkei, the area’s Member of Parliament, who demanded swift arrests and stronger protections for women. County Commissioner Kipkech Lotiatia also condemned the incident, calling it “a blatant violation of human rights.”
Police confirmed they are hunting the three suspects. Lepeita is being treated at Narok County Referral Hospital. Doctors say she is in stable condition.
Rights groups have linked the case to a wider problem: forced marriages and violence against women. According to government data, gender-based violence remains a serious concern in many parts of Kenya, often fuelled by cultural traditions that clash with the law.
“This is not just a family matter,” said a Nairobi-based women’s rights advocate, speaking after the video went viral. “It is a criminal act, and it speaks to the urgent need for communities to abandon practices that endanger women and girls.”
For now, Lepeita’s case has become a rallying cry online. Thousands have shared the video, demanding justice not only for her but for other women silenced or brutalised in similar circumstances.
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