Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya has had some of the highest level of child trafficking. Child trafficking is considered one of the most serious crimes.

Kenya is recognised as a country of origin, transit and destination of human trafficking.

Though the causes and sustainment of human trafficking are varied, one of the explanations for the rising cases is the labour migration and development patterns and the susceptibility of people crossing borders.

Poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunities have also been identified as major factors promoting both internal and transnational human trafficking.

In Kenya, internal trafficking is considered to be prevalent particularly from rural to urban areas, such as Nairobi and Mombasa, for exploitation in domestic labour and commercial sex.

The government, in collaboration with NGOs and other international organisations, have been trying to fight the vice.

The Kenya government, for instance, has utilised the victim assistance fund and launched a cybercrime centre to investigate crimes of sexual abuse and labour.

A 2020 trafficking in-persons report published by the US state department confirmed that the Kenyan government has made significant strides in taming human trafficking. But the report states that the government has not met the minimum standards required to claim the elimination of trafficking.

Kenya has remained in Tier 2 of the US Department of State report for the last five years.

According to the report, Kenya prosecuted at least 22 individuals under the trafficking law in 2019, compared with at least 33 in 2018.

In spite of the government coming up with measures to mitigate the impact caused by human trafficking, some victims have been labeled as criminals, which limits their access to resources and funds.

Kenya is a signatory to the United Nations protocols to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in-persons especially of women and children.

The most widespread forms of trafficking are labour and sexual related, at 44 per cent and 53 per cent respectively according to a research done by the National Crime Research Center in 2015.

Most of these cases involve  the youth and children who are more vulnerable and susceptible to human trafficking primarily for sexual exploitation and labour.

One in every six victims trafficked is a child. Two-thirds are aged between 18 and 29 while 17 per cent are between 30 and 47.

According Kwale Woman Rep Zuleikha Hassan, who is also the founder of Tawfiq Muslim Association, poverty and gender inequalities are some of the factors that make women and girls vulnerable to human trafficking.

Human trafficking is not only a grave injustice to the victim, but it is also an injustice to families and friends of the victim. Let us, therefore, work together in protecting their rights and to end human trafficking in our country and the world.

There is also need for global coordination on counter trafficking in-person case so that both the receiving country and the country of origin can collaborate to have the cases handled promptly, fairly and appropriately in manner that meets global standards.

Governments should fully utilise national referral mechanisms and train law enforcement agencies and other government officials on identification of victims of trafficking in need of care services especially victims of transnational trafficking.

The government should also strive to create public awareness about human trafficking and its effects.

It should also address the root causes of human trafficking through job creation schemes, vocational and skills empowerment programmes and the provision of livelihood support to youths.

—The writers are communication and media students at Rongo University