Likimani: Wait a minute, our children’s blood is not for sale

I witnessed Kenya achieving independence in 1963. I worked with the colonialists and witnessed the suffering of African people. This made me to write a book, The Passbook Number F 47927, which is a record of what Africans went through during the colonial rule.

I have gone through racial discrimination, where the salary you earn, the houses you are allocated and even the schools your children should attend was determined by the colour of your skin.

I saw highly educated black people being offered very low cadre jobs just because they were black Africans.

Most importantly, I was there when the British flag was lowered, and the Kenyan flag hoisted to welcome the independence of the Republic of Kenya.

It was excitement that I will never forget. It was unbelievable to sing the Kenyan national anthem.

Remembering where we have come from and where we are presently, I am very disappointed by what is going on in our nation today. It makes me very sad, indeed, to learn that Kenya is listed as one of the top human trafficking havens. What a shame!

Recently, the ministry of Labour cited the 2014 Global Report on Trafficking, which said: “Kenya was a source, transit point and destination of trafficked children.”

I am very disappointed by the Law Society of Kenya for threatening to file a suit that challenges the ministry of Labour’s suspension of laws that allow adoption of Kenyan children by foreigners.

My question is, how many Kenyan families have adopted foreign children? Are there any white children adopted by black families anywhere in the world? If not, what makes black people think that black children can only be given away to  foreigners?

How many families are in Kenya who do not have children and would love to adopt children locally? Or must children be adopted by foreigners?

How can an organisation of such learned people support the practice of taking our children away from their motherland? I thank the ministry of Labour for suspending the laws that allow foreigners to adopt Kenyan children.

LSK’s argument that the move infringes on the rights of children does not hold water because most children who disappear without trace are as young as four months. If given away, they will never trace where their roots are.

I love reading newspapers. I keep press cuttings, and it is not long ago that I saw hundreds of children listed in the newspapers as homeless. It is very saddening to see a baby as young as four months listed as one looking for his or her family. Where do such children get collected?

ABUSE OF ADOPTION

We also hear of some foreigners who visit our country so that they can adopt a child.

There has been an abuse of the adoption process, which has led to numerous cases of trafficking under the guise of adoption. In my view, the ministry of Labour’s action is an effort towards eradicating this vice.

We have heard of cases of children disappearing even from maternity hospitals. We have also read of cases of people claiming to perform miracles leading to the birth of babies by barren women.

The issue of children needs to be taken very seriously. It is a shame that our children are being trafficked by strangers. I challenge our leaders to tackle this issue head on.

What are they fighting for if they do not bother to follow cases of disappearance of our children without a trace? With child trafficking and our people being trapped into modern slavery, it seems that we have not grasped the important place that our children occupy in our nation.

I have just finished a book, My Blood not for Sale, which is about human trafficking and modern slavery. It is dedicated to our children. We are giving away our children to strangers.

We do not even bother to check who these strangers are. I am not at all opposed to adoption, but how many indigenous Kenyans are allowed to adopt children? Are we doing this because of money? Let me hope not.

I know there are some genuine foreigners who are very kind and have adopted children. Some are even married to African women and have children with them. But at the same time, we hear of some very frightening stories of unknown people who adopt our children. Some even have offices dealing with children, many of them collected from the Third World.

What they do with these children, only God knows.

Kenya is a country of plenty. We are independent. We are free. Does it mean that we are unable to settle our very own homeless children? Are we giving that responsibility to foreigners?

In June, I attended a human trafficking and modern slavery conference. I was surprised to learn that it is not just Kenya but the entire Africa that has become a major centre for human trafficking and modern slavery.

In that conference, I met many people who were concerned about human trafficking. We have even heard of albinos who are kidnapped frequently for some frightening practices. Who will protect our children?

What is wrong with us? When will we black people ever be proud of ourselves? We are still slaves of some foreigners we do not even know. I really feel disappointed by the Law Society of Kenya’s position towards this matter. I hope they will see the light. I urge the ministry of Labour not to let our children go. If we can afford to have a protected place for our wild animals in the parks, then surely, we can ensure that our children have a place to live. If we can reserve big land to protect our wildlife, then we should equally look for a park to keep our children. This is because the future of this nation depends upon the wellbeing of her children.

We need to protect our children. We have many African couples in this country who would love to adopt children genuinely and who would love and care for them.

The procedures of adopting our children should be publicised. We should know the people who are adopting our children. Children’s care should be the duty of all citizens.

Moreover, as I finish writing this article, I have just read of yet another saddening story of thousands of Kenyan women losing their lives yearly due to abortion. What are our leaders doing to prevent this senseless loss of lives?

Muthoni Likimani (MBS) is the IFLAC  Ambassador for Peace and author of a forthcoming book My Blood not for Sale.