In Nairobi’s sprawling Kibera slum, where poverty, cultural stigma, and limited government services have fuelled high rates of gender-based violence, an unexpected group is emerging as frontline allies: landlords.
These property owners, who oversee compounds housing hundreds of residents, are uniquely positioned to witness signs of abuse. Yet for years, many avoided intervening, viewing domestic violence as a “private matter.” That changed when CFK Africa, a youth-focused NGO, launched a training program to equip landlords with the skills to identify and respond to sexual assault and domestic violence.
The initiative has already shown tangible results. In one case, a landlord overheard cries from a tenant’s home and discovered a father raping his four-year-old daughter. Acting swiftly, he intervened, called an emergency ambulance service introduced through the training, and supported the mother in filing a police report—dispelling the myth that reporting incurs a fee.
Since the program’s expansion to other Kenyan slums, landlords have made 92 referrals to authorities in 2025 alone, connecting survivors with life-saving services. The model’s success has drawn international attention, with similar approaches being explored in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where local religious leaders have used their influence to reduce gender-based violence by 50–85% over four years.
Experts argue that governments and aid agencies must recognize such non-traditional allies as vital resources in combating violence against women and girls—a goal enshrined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5.2. In Kibera, the impact is already clear: timely intervention saved a young girl’s life, proving that empowering trusted community figures can be a powerful tool in the fight for safety and justice.
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