Human rights organizations are urging Siaya county to promptly develop a protection policy due to alarming rates of children’s rights violations.
According to Kennedy Kiribwa, the County’s Director of Children Services, Siaya county has documented more than 1,800 instances of children’s rights abuse in the past year alone.
Kiribwa made these remarks during a forum at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, held to commemorate the African child. Among the concerns affecting children and adolescents are teenage pregnancies, sexual and gender-based violence, and increasing HIV infections.
Kiribwa said, “The cases are a cause for concern and we call for fast-tracking of a policy championing child protection.”
Some of the cases reported include of children as young as 14 years old being defiled and getting children, forcing them to drop out.
In other cases, teens have been lured by boda boda riders and defiled.
Calls have been made to bring culprits to book as some still live within the vicinity of those who have defiled them with no action taken.
