This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
On July 1, 2019, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) conducted a raid in Kayole, Nairobi, rescuing nine children suspected to be victims of human trafficking.
The children, aged between 12 and 17 years, were found in a house in the Soweto slums area.
According to the DCI, the raid was prompted by the disappearance of a 17-year-old student from the same area.
During the operation, three suspects – Said Hamisi (41), Maimuna Bakari (52), and Sophia Wanjiru (80) – were arrested and taken into police custody.
The DCI believes the children were waiting to be trafficked, and the suspects are currently being investigated.
Kenya has been identified as a source, destination, and transit country for human trafficking, with the majority of victims being children and young adults subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.
According to a 2018 US State Department report, Kenya does not meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking.
