A lobby group dealing with children’s rights has urged the public to raise an alarm whenever they see and feel children are being exploited.
The group has decried that so many people have witnessed school-going children being employed at farms to dig and cultivate for planted food crops.
Other types of jobs include taking care of animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep, and other odd casual jobs, but the children are poorly paid since they do not have anyone who speaks on their behalf.
The Alliance Fighting Against Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking in Kenya warns that most of these children end up dropping out of school.
They have warned that they will be pushing the police, national government administration officers, and the children’s department to follow up on child exploitation and take a decisive step even before a case is reported.
The organization’s executive director, John Gachoka, said that they feel bad whenever they see children being employed.
”Employing an underage child is illegal, but it is happening openly. Those doing that—they do not have a heart for these children. They pay them poorly; they are misused,” he said.
”We will not keep quiet; we will speak out loudly because when you exploit them, you end up endangering the future of these children,” Gachoka added.
Gachoka spoke yesterday during a walk that was organized by the organization to create children’s rights awareness in Limuru Sub-county.
The walk was flagged off at the Nazareth area and ended at Limuru Deputy County Commissioner Harrison Matevwa’s office.
A participant, Ann Ng’endo, urged the administration to hold more barazas where they can host child rights lobbyists as well as children’s officers so that the community can be enlightened more about children’s rights.
”Never assume that people know about children’s rights because they have children at home. Some people learn about them when they are in trouble, which is very unfortunate,” Ng’endo said.
At the DCC’s office, Limuru Town Location Chief John Ngugi urged the community to protect children since they were innocent and he felt as if those exploiting them were claiming to sharpen them to face life.
”Let us join hands to protect the children of this country. Report anything that you feel is not right to us or this organization,” Ngugi said.
Gachoka said the main objective of their organization is to enlighten the community about children’s rights so that people know them.
