By Norah Musega
Rongo sub-county Police Commander has issued a stern warning to locals found defiling children within the area to face the wrath of law through the department of Gender and Child Protection unit.
Mr. Peter Okiring, the Police boss urged parents to enhance child protection skills not to allow their children fall victims of the unlawful acts from predators.
He challenged parents found sleeping in the same rooms with their children to stop it saying they are exposing their children to pornography at a tender age hence promoting early marriages and premarital sex.
“We must recognize that we live in a digital world where todays’ children are more exposed and might be tempted to start exercising whatever their parents do at night if exposed to the same room where their parents spend the night.” said Okiring.
He also warned against child labour within n the area saying they will be on the lookout in collaboration with the childrens’ officers for those exposing children to jobs not fit for them.
He also encouraged locals to report such cases to the relevant authorities for lawsful action against the offenders.
“Let us embrace education and allow our children to spend more time at school as a way of helping them secure a better future for them. There are other basic house chores at home which they can assist parents do over the weekend but not being exposed to money generating activities.” added Okiring.
His sentiments were echoed by Kamagambo luo Council of Elders’ chairman Richard Onditi who urged parents living in the villages to embrace Luo tradition which states that adolescent children must sleep in their grandmothers’ houses.
Onditi also urged parents living and working in the urban settlements to frequently visit their villages accompanied by their children for the sake of uniting families and acknowledgement of relations to avoid incest in future.
He condemned elderly men and women for marrying their childrens’ age mates, unlike the norms and demand for childrens’ rights and privileges.
He however called on the government to let those found guilty of defilement go scot free but to ensure they are charged according to the law.
“I applaud the government for its efforts to protect children and support education within the sub county. Parents to the defiled children must shun from settling such issues through kangaroo courts since this has promoted such characters within the society. Every defiler must go through the due process of law in a court of law to face the changes according to the constitution,” said Onditi.
