This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
On December 17, 2019, the High Court ordered the Immigration and Foreign Affairs ministries to repatriate five foreign women who were trafficked to Kenya.
The women, from India and Nepal, were rescued by officers from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit on August 2, 2019, following a raid at a bar in Parklands.
HAART Kenya, a lobby group, sued the State for violating anti-trafficking law, which gives victims the right to privacy and safe repatriation.
Justice Weldon Korir ordered the government to meet the costs of safe repatriation of the victims with their respective embassies and issue necessary travel documents.
The judge also directed that the victims should be back in their countries of origin within seven days.
HAART Kenya accused the State of failing to provide the victims with appropriate care, despite the lobby group housing them on request from TOCU while the State initiated criminal prosecution of their alleged traffickers.
The lobby group claimed it had incurred expenses of over Sh1.3 million for the care of the victims, which the law says is the State's responsibility.
HAART Kenya also wants the State to be compelled to make regulations within 90 days of operationalising the National Trust Fund for victims of trafficking in persons.
