A 17-year-old girl from a refugee camp in Daadab has been brutally murdered after refusing to be married off to a 55-year-old man.

The teenager was set on fire after refusing to submit to the demands of the 55-year-old man. She had been forcefully married off in an arranged marriage and was taken from her home in Daagale refugee camp.

When she arrived at the home of her husband-to-be, she was terrified. Her defiance resulted in beatings, and she eventually succumbed after enduring 27 days of abuse.

In her final moments before her death, she sent a chilling audio recording narrating how the 55-year-old man had been assaulting her since she started living with him.

On Saturday, March 22, 2025, she made a distress call to her mother, fearing for her life after enduring continuous torture since moving in with the man.

17-Year-Old Girl Brutally Murdered for Refusing Early Marriage

The next call her family received was from a relative informing them of her death. According to her mother, she received the call at around 2:00 a.m. informing her that her daughter had been tortured, placed on a mattress, and set on fire.

This incident has ignited outrage across social media platforms, with many Kenyans calling for justice.

A social media user by the name of Siammuh condemned early marriages initiated by some cultures.

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“These barbaric customs of early child marriages should be banned in Kenya. This is so evil, archaic, and repugnant,” the statement read.

LSK Condemns Murder of 17-year-old Girl

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo described the teen’s death as a case of femicide and condemned her brutal murder.

“Another day, another femicide case, another innocent life lost. Have we lost our humanity? Has free will lost its meaning and value in society? Has our Constitution ceased being a manifestation of our national moral fabric? No person, no woman, should have to suffer such an untimely death over their discernment and choice.

We add our voice in condemning this despicable act,”Odhiambo stated.

Odhiambo further called on security agencies to take immediate steps to find, apprehend, and prosecute the perpetrator of this heinous crime.

Another social media user by the name Daniel Mburu said “Femicide is a stain on our society, a betrayal of our shared humanity. Justice for Gaal Aden Abdi is not just a demand—it’s a moral imperative. We must act decisively to protect women and uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution.”