The Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage, Hannah Wendot, has expressed deep concern over the prolonged detention of minors in government remand homes, some of whom have stayed far beyond the legally permitted time frame.
The CS during an inspection tour of children’s homes and gender-based violence rescue centers in Nyanza and Western Kenya on Thursday revealed that some minors in conflict with the law have been held in remand homes for over two years, beyond the maximum six months stipulated by law.
“We have children who are supposed to stay here for a maximum of six months, but some have been here for over two years. That is a serious concern,” Wendot stated at the Kisumu Children Remand Home.
The Cabinet Secretary attributed the situation to several systemic challenges, including delays in court processes, poor inter-agency coordination, and inadequate resources. The factors she said have led to the prolonged detention of minors, a situation that is not only unlawful but also detrimental to their welfare.
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Wendot also raised alarm over the plight of foreign minors, particularly those from Uganda, whose cases have already been concluded but still remain in custody due to lack of funds and resources to facilitate their repatriation.
“We require resources to facilitate their return to their countries. That is one of the key issues we are raising,” she said, highlighting the additional burden on the government to address the needs of foreign minors.
Other challenges she highlighted included the lack of transport for escorting minors to court, staffing shortages, and deteriorating infrastructure in the remand homes, all of which exacerbate the difficulties faced by the children in custody.
Wendot called for urgent policy interventions to improve the handling of cases involving minors, better coordination between government agencies, and increased budgetary allocation to decongest the institutions and improve the overall welfare of children in conflict with the law.
By Obegi Malack
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