Senate launches probe into child trafficking in hospitals after 6,000 missing cases reported between 2022-2023
Former Labour PS Bore had announced plans to shut down all privately owned orphanages and children's homes within the next eight years, arguing that they had become conduits for trafficking.
Senators have launched an inquiry into child trafficking in government-run hospitals and private clinics across the country following the conviction of a social worker at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi for facilitating the sale of children.
The Senate Health Committee has been tasked with investigating the extent of the crime, the reasons behind it, and the involvement of staff in public health facilities.
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Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri, who raised the issue, called for a detailed report on how government employees have contributed to child trafficking within the healthcare system.
Okenyuri specifically cited the case of a social worker at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital who was found guilty of selling multiple children.
"The committee should provide a detailed report on investigations into allegations of child trafficking facilitated by staff in government health facilities," she said.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi approved the request and directed the Health Committee, chaired by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, to begin investigations immediately.
There are limited statistics on the extent of child trafficking in Kenya.
However, former Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore revealed that more than 6,000 children were reported missing between July 2022 and May 2023.
Bore had also announced plans to shut down all privately owned orphanages and children's homes within the next eight years, arguing that they had become conduits for trafficking.
"The reason why we are closing them up is because we have been given directions under the Children's Act that private homes should be closed," Bore stated.
"They have also been routes for child trafficking, so the government wants us to retain the institutions that we have under the Child Welfare Society of Kenya," she added then.
Legal actions
The probe at the Senate will also examine the legal and disciplinary actions taken against government employees linked to trafficking cases.
Senator Okenyuri further stressed the need for a coordinated response, urging the committee to assess collaboration between law enforcement agencies, health authorities, and child protection services in dismantling trafficking networks.
In October 2023, a court sentenced Fred Leparan, a former social worker at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, to 35 years in prison after he was convicted of child trafficking, child neglect, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
His co-accused, Selina Adundo, received a six-year sentence or a Sh300,000 fine.
Their arrests in 2020 followed a BBC investigation that exposed child trafficking at the facility.
Beyond public hospitals, the Senate committee is also scrutinising unregulated private clinics suspected of engaging in child trafficking.
Senator Okenyuri urged the panel to assess licensing and oversight mechanisms for these facilities, questioning why illegal clinics continue to operate unchecked.
"The committee should provide a status report on the licensing and regulatory oversight of private health facilities, explaining why unlicensed clinics continue to operate unchecked," she said.
The Senator also demanded a list of registered and unregistered clinics in Nairobi's Kayole area and other informal settlements where trafficking is believed to be rampant.
Additionally, she called for the immediate closure of illegal clinics linked to child trafficking and measures to ensure strict enforcement of health regulations.
The Senate probe is expected to shed light on the extent of child trafficking in health facilities and recommend measures to curb the illegal trade.
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