The State Department for Children Services today spearheaded the 2025 National Commemoration of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons at the ASK Showground in Nakuru County, under the theme, “Human Trafficking is an Organised Crime: End the Exploitation.”
Nakuru, identified as a critical hub for human trafficking as an origin, transit, and destination county alongside Trans-Nzoia, Kiambu, Garissa, and Taita Taveta, served as a strategic location to amplify the urgent call to dismantle trafficking networks.
The event brought together government agencies, civil society organizations, and international partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Together, they underscored the transnational and domestic nature of human trafficking, which preys on individuals regardless of race, age, or socioeconomic status, making vigilance and collective action paramount.
In a stirring keynote address, CPA Carren Ageng’o, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Children Services, rallied Kenyans to confront this grievous crime.
“Human trafficking thrives on deception and exploitation, luring victims with false promises of greener pastures only to trap them in modern slavery. Together, let us recognize that trafficking in persons is organized crime and end the exploitation,” she declared.
She urged citizens to verify job opportunities abroad through National Employment Authority(NEA) accredited agencies, insist on work contracts, and secure proper visas to avoid falling prey to unscrupulous traffickers.
A 2022 study by the National Crime Research Centre revealed alarming statistics: children account for 44.4% of victims in domestic human trafficking, while adults constitute 60% of internal trafficking victims and up to 80% in cross-border cases. Victims are primarily exploited for forced labour, sexual exploitation, and emerging crimes like forced criminality in scamming compounds in South East Asia.
The study identified deceptive online job offers and social media recruitment as the most prevalent methods employed by perpetrators, who often pose as recruitment agencies, family members, or trusted acquaintances.
The State Department showcased significant strides in combating trafficking, aligned with the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act, 2010, which domesticates the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons. Notable achievements include:
Rescue of 153 Kenyan nationals trafficked to Myanmar, where they were coerced into working in scamming compounds.
Training of over 700 law enforcement officers, criminal justice officials, and aviation sector first responders in the past financial year to enhance early identification and response to trafficking cases.
Support for 35 survivors through the National Assistance Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking, enabling them to start small-scale businesses to prevent re-trafficking.
Establishment of a government-run shelter with a capacity to support 20 victims, providing a haven for recovery and rehabilitation.
The commemoration also shed light on diverse forms of trafficking handled by the Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, including child labour in bars, households, and farms, forced begging involving children and adults with disabilities, suspected organ harvesting, orphanage exploitation, child radicalization, and forced criminality. These cases underscore the complex and evolving nature of trafficking, driven by push factors such as poverty, unemployment, dysfunctional families, conflict, and climate change-induced displacements.
Principal Secretary Ageng’o paid tribute to the resilience of survivors, commending their courage in rebuilding their lives and speaking out against trafficking. “Their voices are a powerful weapon in raising awareness and preventing others from falling victim,” she noted.
Stakeholders discussed strategies for early identification, reporting, and prevention of trafficking cases. Attendees were urged to report suspected cases to the National Crime Research Centre or the Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat for swift action. The government and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to prosecuting perpetrators and protecting victims, calling for a united front to eradicate human trafficking.
Observed annually on July 30, this day raises awareness about the plight of trafficking victims. It promotes collective efforts to prevent and combat this global crime, in line with the United Nations’ commitment to ending exploitation.
