House summons CS, top cop over 10k missing children

Parliament has summoned Gender CS Hannah Cheptumo and Police IG Douglas Kanja to explain the government's response to the growing crisis of missing children.

 The move comes as both the Senate and National Assembly raised concerns over increasing cases of child disappearances across the country.

The legislators are warning that the situation has reached crisis levels and requires immediate intervention.

 According to data from the Child Protection Information Management System, 10,581 child protection cases linked to missing and vulnerable children were recorded between January 2025 and March 2026.

 The figures include 6,820 cases of child abandonment, 1,952 abductions, 173 incidents of child trafficking and 1,636 cases classified as missing children.

 Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana, who sought a statement in the Senate, said Kenya is losing an average of 23 children every day, a trend she described as a national emergency.

 "The pain endured by families searching for their loved ones is immeasurable and the urgency to act cannot be overstated. This matter is not only about statistics but about the lives of innocent children whose futures have been cut short or remain uncertain," Kibwana said.

 She asked the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee to investigate the rise in missing children cases and establish the effectiveness of existing child protection mechanisms.

 Kibwana cited several recent cases that have shocked the country, including five-year-old Travis Wanjohi and one-year-old Mary Wanjiru from Nyeri county.

 The two were found dead on March 30 and April 10 this year respectively after being reported missing.

 She also highlighted the disappearance of five-year-old autistic child Luther Mwangi from Dandora, Nairobi, who went missing on April 15 and remains unaccounted for.

 Other unresolved cases include those of Neville Kibui from Kangemi and Precious Jepchirchir from Nandi county, who disappeared in 2025 and have never been found.

 The senator wants the committee to provide an annual breakdown of missing children cases reported to the State Department for Children's Services and the National Police Service from 2021 to date.

 She further called for updates on investigations into cases where missing children were later found dead.

 The committee has also been tasked with examining existing protocols for responding to reports of missing children and assessing coordination between police officers, children's departments, schools, hospitals and local administrators.

 The issue sparked an emotional debate in the Senate, with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna accusing the government of failing in its responsibility to protect children.

 "We have to be honest. It is the responsibility of the state to protect these children. They have failed in that particular responsibility," Sifuna said.

 He questioned why security agencies equipped with sophisticated surveillance capabilities appear unable to trace missing children before tragedy strikes.

 "The country is mourning all over the place. How is it possible that they follow us around, but cannot track and find the children that have been taken away before they are murdered?" he posed.

 Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda expressed concern over reports that children are increasingly being used by criminal syndicates to lure or abduct younger victims.

 "Parents, guardians and the broader community are running away from their core responsibility of protecting vulnerable minors. The country cannot go on like this," she said.

 Meanwhile, members of the National Assembly echoed similar concerns, demanding answers from security agencies over the growing number of disappearances.

 Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya sought a statement from the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, warning that the trend points to possible trafficking, abduction and exploitation networks targeting children.

 "The growing number of children reported missing in recent months has caused widespread fear, anxiety and outrage among Kenyan families," she told the House.

 Donya questioned whether existing child protection systems are functioning effectively and whether law enforcement agencies are responding swiftly enough when reports of missing children are made.

 She asked the government to disclose how many children have been reported missing over the past year, how many have been traced and reunited with their families, and what measures are in place to combat child trafficking and abductions.

 Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo backed the request, describing the reported figures as deeply troubling and calling for urgent investigations.

 "As a child protection expert, this is an issue I have spoken about before. There is a growing concern in this nation that the number of children who are disappearing is actually very alarming," she said.

 Odhiambo cautioned against speculation regarding the causes of the disappearances, saying authorities must establish the facts through thorough investigations.