Senator seeks urgent action to protect children from rising abuse cases

Nominated Senator Veronica Maina has called for urgent government intervention to address the growing cases of violence, abuse and killings involving children across the country.

Speaking in Senate on Wednesday, Senator Maina sought a formal statement regarding what she termed as an alarming rise in incidents of defilement, disappearances and brutal murders of minors.

She said the country remains deeply shaken by recent tragedies, particularly the heinous murder of nine year old Shantel Waruguru.

The Senator also cited other disturbing cases, including the deaths of Eliza Wamaitha, Tamara Blessing Kabura and Tabitha Wanjiru Macharia, as well as suspected incidents of filicide and murder-suicides involving young children.

“These senseless acts compel leaders and policymakers to urgently interrogate the effectiveness of our child protection systems, community vigilance structures and law enforcement response,” she said.

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Senator Maina reminded the House that every child in Kenya has an inherent and inalienable right to life, dignity, care and protection under Article 53 of the Constitution. While acknowledging the existence of progressive legislation such as the Children’s Act, 2022, she argued that persistent cases of violence expose serious gaps in implementation, reporting mechanisms and coordination among relevant agencies.

To address what she described as systemic failures, the legislator proposed several measures, including strengthening community-based protection initiatives such as Nyumba Kumi, establishing mandatory rapid response protocols for missing children, and ring-fencing budget allocations for psychosocial support and enhanced forensic capacity.

She also called for strict accountability for officers who fail to act on reported cases, stressing that child protection is a shared national responsibility.

By Obegi Malack