Cruelty to children rife despite global pacts

Children in Kenya continue to experience massive violation of their rights despite the country being a signatory to international standards on child protection, a lawyers’ report says.

According to the Law Society of Kenya report, despite domestication of these standards through the Children’s Act (2001), children still face neglect, abuse and related omissions and commissions from adults.

The report launched on Monday examines children’s rights in respect to access to education, poverty and physical and emotional abuse.

It was prepared between January last year and August this year by George Ochich and Dr Ekuru Aukot for LSK.

The 50-page report says that rape and defilement remain the most rampant forms of abuse perpetrated on children in Kenya, accounting for 80 per cent of the cases of abuse.

“Child prostitution is common in many parts of Kenya. The blame lies squarely with the Government for failing to ensure that children have the special attention entitled to them,” says the report.

Child abuse escalated during the post-election violence that rocked the country early this year, the report says.

The 2008 Human Rights Report also says that there is a large number of children serving their prison sentences with adults.

Another worrying trend, it says, is the large number of children accompanying their mothers to prison. The report says that there are at least 300 children currently in prison with their parents.

The report notes that there has not been an increase in the number of teachers in primary schools despite the upsurge in enrolment following the introduction of free education.

It adds that secondary school students are faced with inadequate facilities, thus affecting their education.

Disabilities

On a positive note, the report commends the Government for the consistent allocation of funds to aid the education of children with disabilities.

The report, however, says more than 10,000 children living with disabilities and aged between five and 17 years have never attended school.

In addition, over 7.5 million children in the country are said to be living below the poverty line.