Nairobi: The government has committed to forming child labour committees across all 47 counties to protect children’s rights and combat the rising cases of child labour and exploitation. Currently, eleven committees have already been set up in response to the increasing involvement of children in labour, largely attributed to the severe economic challenges faced by families.
According to Kenya News Agency, Shadrack Mwadime, the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Labour and Skills Development, emphasized Kenya’s dedication to eradicating child labour practices by collaborating with key stakeholders. Mwadime announced the strategy to form child labour committees in all counties as part of a focused initiative to eliminate child labour practices.
The Principal Secretary issued an apology to Ugandan officials who expressed concerns about the trafficking of children from Uganda’s Karamoja region to Kenya for domestic work. Ugandan officials highlighted that minors have been exploited by human traff
ickers for years, taking advantage of their dire poverty and lack of education.
During the closing ceremony of the International Labour Organisation’s Accepted Conditions of Work in Sub-Saharan Africa (CAPSA) project, Mwadime praised ongoing efforts to put an end to child labour. The CAPSA project, which began in 2020, is a five-year initiative implemented in Kenya and Uganda to strengthen the enforcement of legal frameworks and policies related to child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking.
In Kenya, the project is active in Nairobi, Kwale, Bungoma, Kajiado, and Mombasa counties, which have historically recorded high instances of child labour and trafficking. These counties were chosen due to the significant number of children leaving school to work in sectors such as cattle herding, mining, and agriculture.
Mwadime stated that one of the interventions includes ensuring that all school-aged children remain in school to develop their skills and realize their potential. He also mentioned that the go
vernment aims to raise awareness among grassroots communities, noting that some parents have permitted their children to work for pay.
Furthermore, Mwadime indicated that labour officials nationwide will work with security agencies to apprehend and prosecute offenders. He also announced that Kenya will join Alliance 8.7, a global initiative aimed at creating a world free of child slavery and human trafficking.
Hellen Apiyo, Labour Commissioner at the Ministry, mentioned that Kenya will strive to strengthen its systems, address data gaps, and boost the capacity of institutions tasked with addressing child labour. She added that partnerships with private entities and civil societies will help create a more coordinated approach to ending child labour and trafficking of minors within and across borders.
Caroline Mugalla Khamati, Director of the ILO Country Office for Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, recommended preventing trafficking at its source by investing in education and economic empowerment
. Khamati also advocated for strengthening protection measures, enhancing border controls between Uganda and Kenya to disrupt trafficking networks, and establishing legal and safe migration channels to reduce reliance on traffickers.
She urged governments to support survivors by ensuring access to housing, healthcare, and legal aid for trafficked girls. “Let us remain steadfast in our efforts to eliminate exploitative labour practices and to create a future where all children and workers are free from abuse, exploitation, and trafficking,” said Khamati.