- Reports indicate that the majority of the stakeholders open the orphanages to attract sponsors and well-wishers for self-benefit.
- Other homes are opened for child trafficking, sex trade and drug businesses hence the need to regulate their operations.
Private organisations and residents of Kwale have been warned against running unregistered children's homes.
According to Msambweni children’s officer Zafania Apoko, unregistered orphanages contribute a lot to gender-based violence against minors.
He said the unrecognised safe houses are normally used for child exploitation and crime dens.
"Not all people operating the charitable children's institutions are there to help, some have evil goals," he said.
Apoko said reports indicate that the majority of the stakeholders open the orphanages to attract sponsors and well-wishers for own benefit.
He said others manage them for child trafficking, sex trade and drug businesses hence the need to regulate their operations.
Apoko said the government is very keen to protect the children and their well-being.
He said the priority is to see minors live safely and harmoniously in schools, homes and safe houses.
The officer said the cases of defilement and teen pregnancies were still a major headache in the region, which is why the government has set measures to stem the vice.
He said anyone opening an orphanage must first comply with regulations to keep children safe and other victims.
"We don't want to have a scenario where someone is rescued only to be hurt again," he said.
Apoko said there are cases where victims especially minors are sexually assaulted within the illegally operated safe houses.
He said it is a situation that derails the war against GBV and translates to physical and emotional stress for the affected persons.
The rights defender said the victims also lose hope since the people they thought would help them end up harming them.
Apoko said the law won't be gentle on those found running unlicensed and unregulated rescue centres.
The officer said since Kwale is a tourism hub, the children also fall victims to the sex predators as they loiter along the beaches.
He urged parents to up their parental responsibilities and ensure they know their children's whereabouts and the friends they keep.
Apoko, however, said the government has achieved great strides in curbing GBV cases.
He said the Judiciary has been empowered to tackle GBV cases and justice is served promptly.
The officer said the children's cases are given first priority in courts and judges have sufficient knowledge of the proceedings and how to handle them.
"We have children's service week where we deal with all pending children cases as one way of promoting justice," he said.
Apoko also urged local authorities to take action against politicians who use children in their political campaigns.
He said in Kwale many children have been spotted carrying placards of certain politicians and the act promotes child abuse and must be dealt with.
He said it is through such rallies that sex predators harm minors escalating teen pregnancies.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)