Rising child abuse demands urgent attention
Majority of gender-based violence cases reported recently involve young couples, with male brothers and cousins reported as perpetrators of the violence.
As Kenya prepares to mark the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence—beginning on 25 November—a cloud of fear hangs over our communities. Reports from across the country reveal a disturbing rise in defilement, child marriage and violence against minors. This surge threatens the very fabric of society.
Children are no longer safe in spaces meant to protect them—their homes, neighbourhoods, churches and even extended families. While schools offer security for many, holidays expose children to unmonitored environments, predators and harmful social norms.
Community accounts, police reports and social media testimonies paint a painful picture: defilement committed largely by individuals known to the victims; child marriages, especially in rural areas; and teenage pregnancies rooted in coercion.
As the world enters the 16 Days of Activism—a global call to end violence in all its forms, including domestic abuse, sexual assault, femicide, harmful cultural practices, economic exploitation, emotional manipulation, online violence, workplace harassment and intimate partner abuse—Kenya finds itself confronting the very injustices this campaign was built to fight.
Our legal framework is clear. The Sexual Offences Act (2006) was designed to protect children and punish predators. The Constitution, through the Bill of Rights, guarantees safety and dignity. But implementation remains painfully weak. Laws without enforcement are mere words; policies without funding are mere documents; promises without accountability are noise.
The justice system is slow. Survivors face stigma when reporting. Police stations lack adequately trained officers. Shelters remain scarce. Survivors often shoulder both emotional and financial burdens in pursuit of justice, while perpetrators evade consequences through silence, power or community pressure.
This moment demands stronger enforcement of laws. It demands meaningful protection of children’s rights under Article 53 of the Constitution. It demands accountability from duty-bearers whose negligence enables abuse and community responsibility rather than silence.
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The author is a sexual and reproductive health advocate at Naya Kenya.
