This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
Children's Lives at Risk as Covid-19 Lockdown Measures Fail ¶
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage the country, children in Kenya are being pushed into various forms of exploitation, including mining, hawking, and sex work, as the lockdown measures fail to curb the spread of the virus.
Published on July 18, 2020, a report by Nation.co.ke highlighted the plight of children in various parts of the country, who are being forced into these activities due to the economic hardships caused by the pandemic.
One of the most disturbing cases was reported in Kisii County, where school heads were under pressure from parents following the discovery that some children had turned their classrooms into sex dens. A parent, Mr. Dominic Magori, reported that he had stumbled upon two youngsters, aged between 14 and 16, having sex in one of the classrooms.
Across Nyanza, Western, and South Rift regions, the effects of Covid-19 on families have seen parents push their children into mining, hawking, fishing, and boda boda businesses. In Ikolomani constituency, children were flocking to goldmines to join their parents in crushing rocks from the underground shafts.
Efforts were being made to sensitize parents to avoid involving children in mining activities, but the situation remained dire. In Kakamega, Kisumu, Migori, and Mumias towns, children were freely hawking an assortment of goods, with some even working past 7:30 pm.
In Bomet, Kericho, and Kisii counties, underage boys were dangerously riding motorcycles on main and feeder roads. A 16-year-old boy, Brian, was found waiting for customers at Daraja Moja stage at around 9 pm, hiring a motorcycle from a former school mate who had dropped out of school.
Children were also being engaged as tea pickers in small and large-scale farms in Bomet and Kericho counties, with some schoolgirls being sexually exploited. In Migori, an increasing number of children were engaged in fishing expeditions in Lake Victoria, with some working as early as 5 am.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, it is clear that the lockdown measures are failing to protect the most vulnerable members of society - children.
