Nairobi is increasingly becoming hostile to children, a new report has said.
The report by the National Council of Administration of Justice says the city has the lion’s share of children exposed to different forms of violence.
It says in Kenya, children continue to be subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuse and harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage.
“Some children are also vulnerable to trafficking, substance abuse, radicalisation, hazardous labour and online exploitation,” the report says.
Of the 117,602 cases of violence against children recorded nationally, Nairobi has 16,855 cases, by far leading the pack. The report covers the 2023-24 period.
Kiambu follows closely with 9,660 cases, Nakuru and Machakos recorded 5,377 and 5,432 cases while Kakamega had 4,171 such cases.
Other top counties in the data include Bungoma with 3,712, Kisumu 3,708 cases, Murang’a 3,655, Narok 3,386, Migori 3,207, Mombasa 3,001, Embu 2,952, Busia 2,834, Meru 2,599, Makueni 2,289 and Siaya 2,361.
Samburu and Marsabit recorded the lowest incidents of child violence and abuse at 376 and 486 respectively. In affording help to the affected children, the council says, state actors mobilised interventions, but counselling was the most used.
Police diversion, judicial orders and supervision with courts were also some of the solutions provided.
“Forty-six per cent of children went through professional counselling designed to help them cope with emotional distress and psychological trauma,” the report says.
In terms of court handling of cases, a total of 16,267 new cases were filed concerning children and some 16,119 were resolved.
The judiciary annually observes
November as the children justice
month. But boychild still bears a
huge brunt of crime exposure.
