Over the past few months, the country has witnessed a deeply disturbing rise in cases of child disappearances, abuse, violence, mistreatment, and unexplained deaths. What were once isolated incidents are now becoming a national crisis.
Article 53(1) of the Constitution of Kenya explicitly guarantees every child the right to protection from abuse, neglect, all forms of violence, inhuman treatment and punishment, and exploitative labour. Yet today, far too many children across the country are increasingly becoming victims of cruelty in the very environments where they ought to be safe.
The true measure of any society is defined by its ability to protect and defend its most vulnerable members. As a nation, it is a stain on our national conscience if we do not confront the painful truth that violence and maltreatment of children are proliferating.
It is time the State Department for Children Services establishes a coordinated national response mechanism, including a rapid child emergency alert and response system, to tackle this growing threat against children. And as a society, we must reject the normalization of cruelty against children in all its forms by challenging the dangerous culture of silence and indifference to these vices.
Only then can we ensure that the consequences of violence against children is severe enough to deter perpetrators. We cannot build a safe and prosperous nation when the innocence of childhood is desecrated.
We owe this to our children.
Hon. Gideon Moi
National Chairman – KANU
