Early marriages are fuelling kidnappings among Turkana, Pokot and Maasai pastoralist communities, a study has found.
Male kidnappers are said to forcefully take women
for love and sexual gratification whereas eligible bachelors commit the crime to force them into marriage.
The report dubbed 'Emerging Crimes: The Case of Kidnappings in Kenya Report, 2017' states this is common among communities which still regard such practices.
It states people aged 18 and lower are the main victims while male youths aged 18-35 are the primary culprits.
Child marriages and female genital mutilation are some of the problems Kenya is grappling with in the wake of alarming rates of violation of girls.
The report ranked countries in terms of how they deal with child marriage, education, teen pregnancy and maternal deaths and their numbers of women MPs.
"Every seven seconds globally, a girl aged below 15 years is married," the report states, indicating the scale of the threat posed by child marriage to education, health and children’s safety.
The Girl’s Opportunity Index ranks Kenya at number 97, citing worrying trends on child marriage and adolescent fertility.
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'Stranger kidnappings top list'
The report indicated that majority of the victims are abducted by strangers (89 per cent) and acquaintances (79.9 per cent).
Some of the acquaintances are domestic workers such as house helps who kidnap the young ones left under their care. It was also reported that gardeners and herders forcefully hold their masters for extortion, ransom and revenge when employment-related conflict arises.
On November 28, an eight-month-old baby was found abandoned along the railway line at Kiyuu area, Ol Kalou, after being kidnapped by a house help in Embakasi.
Mary Wacuka alias Angela Wambui, who together with her boyfriend claimed they found the baby, were arrested in connection with the crime.
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Organised street gang kidnappings was ranked third at 72 per cent while being kidnapped by romantic partners came in fourth at 61.9 per cent reporting.
This was followed
by family members kidnapping (60.8 per cent) and security agents (38.8 per cent).
"Most kidnappers are unemployed youths who engage in criminal activities as a means of livelihood," the report read.
'Mode of kidnappings'
The study established that kidnappings are executed by people working either as single or group kidnappers.
Ninety per cent of respondents indicated most kidnappings were by people in groups while 44.2 per cent said they were by individuals.
The study also covered the ways in which people are kidnapped.
Some 43.7 per cent of the respondents reported that kidnappers used force to get their victims while 0.4 per cent reported self-kidnapping
This study was descriptive in nature and was carried out in 20 randomly selected counties.
They are Nairobi, Nyeri, Murang'a, Kirinyaga, Mandera, Wajir, Bungoma, Kisii, Siaya, Machakos, Embu, Meru, Nakuru, Migori, Laikipia, Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Kwale, and Lamu.
At least 1,326 members of the public were selected on the basis of their availability and willingness to respond.
Of these, 54.8 per cent males and 45.2 per cent
females.
All categories of respondents were engaged through face-to-face interviews in places they were comfortable with.