This archive report was first published on 5 September 2019.
September 5, 2019, marked a day of reckoning for the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK) as allegations of child neglect, abuse, and exploitation surfaced in a shocking exposé by The Sunday Standard.
According to the investigative piece, the State agency situated along Lang'ata Road has been using vulnerable children for profit, subjecting them to more misery and minting millions in the process.
However, CWSK Chairperson Shakila Abdalla has distanced herself from the allegations, stating that she had been kept in the dark about the agency's operations since her appointment four months ago.
Ms. Abdalla, who was interviewed yesterday, expressed her frustration at not being briefed by officials, saying, 'To speak the truth, since the President appointed me as the chairperson of CWSK I have been hanging around corridors and in the boardroom without any briefing from the officials. I only learnt about the sorry state of these vulnerable children on television.'
She further emphasized that she did not have an office to operate from, stating, 'I don’t even have an office to operate from.'
Ms. Abdalla apologized for the state of affairs at the agency and called for an investigation by the Director of Public Prosecution, saying, 'This matter must be investigated by the Director of Public Prosecution. I apologise to the children of Kenya for what they went through. I can’t say it’s true or false but the pictures are sad and paint the real agony these children faced in the hands of their caretakers.'
