By Suleiman Mbatiah
The government has raised concern over the rising number of Kenyans falling victim to human trafficking syndicates through fake overseas job offers and unlicensed recruitment agencies.
Principal Secretary for the State Department for Children Services, CPA Carren Ageng’o, warned that trafficking networks have grown more organized and deceptive, increasingly using social media and digital platforms to lure victims.
“These networks are highly organized and operate across borders. Perpetrators prey on people from all walks of life, regardless of race, colour, socio-economic status, ethnicity or age,” she said.
She was speaking in Nakuru at an event to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This year’s global theme, “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End Exploitation”, seeks to highlight the transnational and highly coordinated nature of trafficking cartels
The PS said traffickers often take advantage of desperate individuals looking for work opportunities abroad, only to trap them in forced labour or sexual exploitation.
“Push factors such as poverty, unemployment, broken families, conflict, and climate change-induced displacement leave many vulnerable. Perpetrators may include rogue recruitment agencies, family members, neighbours, and even friends,” she noted.
Ageng’o revealed that the government, through the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, has dealt with a range of complex cases, including children trafficked for forced begging, child radicalization, and even suspected organ removal.
“We have rescued 153 Kenyan nationals trafficked to Myanmar and forced to work in scamming operations,” she said.
A 2022 study by the National Crime Research Centre found that children accounted for 44.4 per cent of internal trafficking cases in Kenya and 20 per cent of those trafficked abroad. Adults formed the majority of victims overall, with most cases involving labour and sexual exploitation.
The PS revealed that deceptive information, often shared via the internet and social media, remains one of the most common tools for recruiting victims to crimes such as organ harvesting, child labour, forced criminality and modern-day slavery.
In response, she said, the government has stepped up efforts to strengthen victim protection and law enforcement capacity while urging Kenyans seeking jobs overseas to conduct due diligence and avoid shortcuts.
“In the last financial year, we trained over 700 law enforcement officers, criminal justice officials and aviation first responders on trafficking in persons,” she said.
She added that the government has operationalized a shelter with capacity to host 20 survivors at a time, while 35 others have been supported to start small businesses through the National Assistance Trust Fund, aimed at helping them reintegrate and avoid re-trafficking.
While praising survivors for their resilience and the civil society groups supporting them, she urged Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to insist on formal work contracts, and ensure proper visas are in place. We all have a role to play in ending this grievous crime.
“I applaud your courage in rebuilding your lives and speaking out. Your voices are powerful. And to those walking alongside victims and survivors, your work is invaluable,” she said.
The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2013 and is observed annually on July 30. Kenya domesticated the UN protocol through the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2010, which defines trafficking and provides a framework for prosecution, prevention and protection.