Campaign against child sex tourism gets boost

A display warning against child prostitution.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Lobby groups single out Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa as coastal counties leading in child sex exploitation, especially among girls.
  • Trace Kenya and Equality Now met with the Judiciary, tourism police and officials at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to sensitise them to how to help victims seek justice.

Human rights groups have put more effort to end child sexual exploitation and sex tourism in the Coast region.

The lobby groups singled out Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa as coastal counties leading in child sex exploitation, especially among girls.

However, to end the violations, the lobby groups, including Trace Kenya and Equality Now, held a meeting with the Judiciary, tourism police and the officials of the office of the Director of Public Prosecution to sensitise them to how to help victims seek justice.

Hope for victims

Trace Kenya executive director Paul Adhoch and Equality Now programmes official Yvonne Oyieke said there is hope for victims. They said they will be holding a series of meetings with stakeholders across the region to end child sex tourism and pornography involving minors.

“We have decided to collaborate with stakeholders to seek solutions to child sexual exploitation and help victims seek justice, especially in Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa counties, where the crimes are rife,” said Mr Adhoch.

Last year, over 6,000 cases of child sexual exploitation were recorded in the three counties, with Kilifi leading.

Boys also targeted

Mr Adhoch said in the Coast region, boys are also being sexually exploited, the majority of whom are not coming out to seek justice.

“The challenge with the boys is that they hardly come out to reveal what they have undergone or even seek justice. We have not got statistics of boys sexually exploited from the police department at the gender desk. We urge boys who have been sexually abused to come out and seek justice. We cannot normalise sexual exploitation,” he said.

Human rights activist Grace Odembo, who rescues sexually exploited minors in the region, said the cases are surging, especially among the boys. “Our boys are under siege; they are being sexually exploited even at home. It is a sad reality. We must protect all children, not only girls. But there is hope for victims of sexual abuse after Chief Justice Martha Koome recently opened a specialised sexual and gender-based violence court to deal with such cases in Shanzu,” she said.

Ms Odembo said police have also been proactive in dealing with such cases. “We are hopeful that we will deal with sex tourism, especially after President William Ruto nominated Ms Aisha Jumwa as Gender Cabinet Secretary. She is a Kilifi native, understands sex tourism and will help us deal with this matter.”