Parents in Northeastern have been told to protect girls against increasing cases of trafficking of children for sexual exploitation.
Mandera Woman Representative Amina Gedow yesterday said more children are engaging in prostitution. Gedow blamed parents for laxity.
“As parents, we need to know the whereabouts of our children and the company they keep so as to protect them against sex predators,” Gedow said on Tuesday while speaking to women’s groups in Mandera East on Tuesday.
The Woman Rep’s call comes amid widespread trafficking of children in Mandera, with many said to be coerced into domestic work in Nairobi.
“We had a case of a young girl who suffered after she attempted to procure an abortion in Eastleigh and that was just one among many cases from this region,” Gedow said.
A recent survey by the US State Department indicated that the Kenya government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.
Gedow said corruption is also to blame for trafficking of children.
“Traffickers cheat parents that their girls are going to join schools in Nairobi or get jobs. Documents to facilitate the travel are fraudulently obtained,” she said.
Gedow said there is a group of women from the region which is notorious for child trafficking.
“I’m calling on security apparatus to get to the bottom of the matter. Key players involved in child trafficking should be arrested,” she said. Gedow urged parents to ensure that their daughters are in the company of trusted people.
"We have cases of girls going to Nairobi and renting houses in groups of two or three with the intention of engaging in questionable activities," Gedow said.
(Edited by P. Wanambisi)
