19 children were rescued by police in Kilifi County during a late-night operation targeting suspected child trafficking, sexual abuse, and illegal harbouring of minors in Ribe, on Thursday.
According to police, the operation was conducted by officers led by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), alongside detectives from the DCI Anti-Human Trafficking and Children Protection Unit based in Mombasa.
The team raided a home belonging to one woman also known as “Talent ni Kazi” and rescued the children.
During the operation, 19 children aged between 12 and 16 years were rescued from the premises. Authorities said the minors are believed to have been victims of sexual abuse and unlawful harbouring.
The children were taken into protective custody and are currently being held as children in need of care and protection pending placement orders to a children’s home.
Police also arrested three suspects over the incident. The suspects were transferred to Mombasa for further interrogation by officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking and Children Protection Unit.
Investigations into the suspected trafficking and abuse network are ongoing.
Cases of child abuse are on the rise in different places amid efforts to address them.
According to The Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Children Services, nearly half of females and more than half of males in Kenya experienced violence during childhood. The most common form being physical violence.
Childhood emotional violence by peers was also widespread among both genders. Among girls who experienced sexual violence before the age of 18, nearly two-thirds suffered repeated incidents.
The ministry urges citizens to report any case of violence against children to a trusted adult or call 116.
Elsewhere, a suspicious late-night gathering at the Kisii bus park came to an abrupt end after swift action by officers from Kisii Central Police Station left four suspects arrested and the recovery of a home-made firearm alongside other crude weapons.
The members of the public alerted officers from the Kisii Central Police Station swooped in just after midnight, catching the would-be criminals off guard.
As the police approached, the suspects attempted to make a break for it, scattering in all directions. But their escape plans failed when the officers expertly cornered them, swiftly bringing the chaotic scene under control.
The operation resulted in the arrest of the four suspects. A quick search on them led to the recovery of incriminating items, including a homemade pistol loaded with a live 9mm round.
Also recovered were two knives, a hammer, and other items, exposing their criminal intentions. Now in custody, the suspects are undergoing processing pending arraignment.
Police say they have intensified operations in Kisii at large to address crime incidents being reported. The incidents include mob lynching which is turning to be a menace to many places.
Officials said they had intensified civic education as part of efforts to address the menace.
Dozens of people are annually killed in the area in mob injustice incidents in a worrying trend. Police investigations show some of the victims are framed before being killed by mobs.
