The government has reported 234 cases of trafficked Kenyan migrant workers since 2019, with victims repatriated from countries across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
Appearing before the Senate, Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua detailed efforts to combat human trafficking and protect affected individuals.
CS Mutua explained that the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, through the Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, is responsible for coordinating inter-agency activities to combat human trafficking.
The secretariat, he said, implements preventive, protective, and rehabilitative programs for victims of trafficking.
“The Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat has handled cases where Kenyan migrant workers faced abuse classified as human trafficking under the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act, 2010,” Mutua told the Senate. He outlined that trafficking includes recruitment, transportation, and exploitation through coercion, fraud, or deception.
In response to a question from Senator Catherine Mumma seeking a breakdown of reported cases, Mutua confirmed that Kenyan victims had been repatriated from Turkey, Laos, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the UAE, Jordan, India, Myanmar, and Qatar.
Meanwhile, Kirinyaga Senator James Murango raised concerns over the growing number of street families in major towns across Kirinyaga County, including Ngurubani, Kutus, Kagio, Sagana, and Kerugoya. He asked the CS to outline government programs for the rescue and rehabilitation of street children in the county.
Mutua attributed the rise in street families to economic hardships and migration from neighboring counties in search of casual jobs, particularly in the rice industry. Many individuals, he noted, resort to begging or menial labor such as cart-pulling to survive.
“The socio-economic challenges in the country have increased the number of vulnerable families living on the streets. These individuals often turn to begging as a means of survival,” said Mutua.
To address the issue, he announced that the government is setting up Street Families Rehabilitation County Chapters, with the Kirinyaga chapter scheduled to be operational this financial year. The initiative aims to rescue and rehabilitate street families, offering internship opportunities, assistance in acquiring ID cards and certificates of good conduct, and linking rehabilitated individuals to potential employers.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is also lobbying Parliament, through the Social Protection Committees, for additional funding to expand programs that support street families and vulnerable populations.
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