As the Judiciary under the power of the 2010 Constitution continues to protect the rights of children, cases of child trafficking in Kenya have continued to be on the rise.
The question human rights groups appear to be fabling to answer is, who in the criminal justice system is to be blamed for sleeping in job?
Today, three serial child traffickers were arraigned at Milimani Law Courts Children’s Court for trafficking three children aged one to Seven years old.
Phoebe Nduku Kilonzo, Jonathan Mutiso Munyao and Lida Wangu Juma appeared before Magistrate C.C Oluoch where they all denied trafficking the three children.
According to the charge sheet, the three suspects on diverse dates between December 3, 2015 and May 25, 2023 at Lungalunga village in Viwandani Location Makadara Sub-county in Nairobi, unlawfully promoted child trafficking by fostering a child aged seven years for the purposes of trafficking.
They also faced another charge of trafficking a child aged one year at Lungalunga village in Viwandani Location Makadara Sub-county in Nairobi where the prosecution said the suspects unlawfully promoted child trafficking by fostering the child for the purposes of trafficking.
Phoebe Nduku Kilonzo and Jonathan Mutiso Munyao were separately charged with unlawfully using Ecitizen platform to procure a birth certificate by making a false statement to be inserted in the register of births pretending to be parents of child named MMM a fact to be false with a sole purpose of selling the child.
The prosecution pleaded with the court to release the suspects on lenient bond terms saying cases of child trafficking in Kenya has been on the rise and that the state has an obligation to protect children of Kenya.
The court released them on a bond of Ksh 1 million with an alternative cash bail of Ksh 300,ooo.
The case will proceed on November 6,2023.
