Senator Okenyuri blames weak enforcement for rising cases of abuse against children
By Emmanuel Rono, May 29, 2026Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri has condemned the culture of settling cases outside court, saying it allows offenders to escape justice and encourages impunity in communities.
Speaking in an interview with a local station on May 28, 2026, Okenyuri stated that Kenya has sufficient laws to protect children, but failure by society to enforce accountability is exposing minors to abuse and exploitation.
“It’s actually a worrying trend, and of recent, the statistics we’re actually reading are of young school children, school-going children who are being defiled and in tragic cases they end up being killed,” Okenyuri said.
Out-of-court settlements
She condemned the growing practice of resolving abuse cases through out-of-court settlements, saying it allows perpetrators to evade justice while denying victims and their families accountability.
“What we are seeing sometimes is perpetrators are arrested, and they do an out-of-court settlement, which is very detrimental to ensuring that the families of these children get justice,” Okenyuri said.
She further called for strict enforcement of existing laws and urged parents to closely monitor their children, especially during school holidays.
“I want to also take this opportunity to urge parents to closely monitor their children because, beyond going to school, you also need to monitor where your child is, what is happening to them,” she said.
Addressing the root cause
Addressing child exploitation requires more than enforcement. Poverty remains a primary driver pushing vulnerable families into desperate situations, making children easy targets for traffickers. In areas like Maai Mahiu, economic hardship has been exploited by organised networks operating with alarming impunity.
Sustainable change demands targeted interventions, such as poverty alleviation programs, access to quality education, and vocational training for at-risk communities.
The Children Act 2022 and constitutional protections offer a solid legal framework, but their impact is weakened by implementation gaps, under-resourced agencies, corruption, and poor coordination, which hamper the fight against abuse.
Equally important is community vigilance. Cultural attitudes that normalise silence around abuse or stigmatise survivors must be challenged through awareness campaigns.
Schools, religious institutions, and local leaders need empowerment to educate communities on children’s rights and reporting mechanisms. Survivors require not only immediate rescue but also long-term psychological support and empowerment programmes to break the cycle of exploitation.