The Law Society of Kenya has raised concerns over the increasing number of missing children cases in the country, calling for urgent legal and policy reforms to strengthen child protection systems.
In a statement issued during the commemoration of the International Day of Missing Children, LSK President Charles Kanjama said the growing crisis should horrify the conscience of the nation.
Kanjama warned that the rising number of reported cases points to a grave national protection failure that can no longer be ignored.
“No parent should wake up unsure whether their child will return home safely. No family should be left begging the State for urgency after a child disappears. The rising number of reported cases points to a grave national protection failure that can no longer be treated with routine statements or institutional silence,” he said.
According to the LSK President, every missing child case amounts to a constitutional emergency, citing Article 53 of the Constitution, which places a direct obligation on the State to protect children from abuse, exploitation, trafficking, neglect and violence.
Kanjama called for a legislative overhaul to strengthen regional anti-trafficking frameworks and introduce mandatory real-time tracking protocols for reported missing minors.
The lawyers’ body further noted that government institutions alone cannot fully address the crisis and urged citizens to take collective responsibility in protecting children.
“Ultimately, the state apparatus alone cannot secure our children. We must awaken our collective and individual responsibility as citizens, guardians and neighbors to fiercely protect the innocent,” Kanjama stated.
The Law Society of Kenya said it was ready to use its legal mechanisms to push for legislative reforms and demand accountability from institutions responsible for child protection.
This follows a crisis of missing children, which has triggered widespread national concern in Kenya, prompting renewed calls for stronger accountability systems and more robust community protection structures.
Newly released government data has laid bare the scale of the problem. Official statistics show more than 10,500 child protection cases were recorded within a 15-month period.
According to the Child Protection Information Management System under the Directorate of Children Services, 10,581 cases were documented between January 2025 and March 2026.
These include 1,636 cases classified as missing children—covering lost and found children—alongside 1,952 abductions, 6,820 cases of abandonment, and 173 incidents of trafficking.
Authorities say 78 per cent of these cases have been resolved through rescue operations and family reunifications.
However, 22 per cent—equivalent to about 2,328 children—remain unaccounted for, a figure that has intensified public anxiety and outrage.
The Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, which oversees the State Department for Children Services, has acknowledged growing pressure over the crisis.
Officials attribute the rising numbers to multiple drivers, including child trafficking networks, online exploitation, and severe household poverty, which in some cases pushes vulnerable children to run away from home.
“Behind each statistic lies a story of heartbreak and loss – a child torn from the embrace of loved ones, their future uncertain and their dreams shattered,” Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo said during a press briefing in Nairobi.
