Nominated Senator Veronica Maina has sought a Statement from the Senate regarding the urgent need to protect the children of Kenya from grievous harm, violence, negligence, and abuse.
Citing a disturbing rise in cases of defilement, disappearance, and brutal murder, Senator Maina emphasized that the nation remains deeply shaken by recent tragedies, most notably the heinous murder of nine-year-old Shantel Waruguru.
She noted that these senseless acts compel leaders and policymakers to urgently interrogate the effectiveness of our child protection systems, community vigilance structures, and law enforcement response.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate yesterday afternoon, the Nominated Senator detailed a harrowing list of recent incidents across the country, including the tragic deaths of Eliza Wamaitha, Tamara Blessing Kabura, and Tabitha Wanjiru Macharia, as well as multiple cases of suspected filicide and murder-suicides involving young children.
Senator Maina reminded the House that every child in Kenya has an “inherent and inalienable right to life, dignity, care and protection” under Article 53 of the Constitution, arguing that while progressive legislation like the Children’s Act of 2022 exists, the persistence of violence exposes significant gaps in implementation, reporting, and coordination among duty bearers.
To address these systemic failures, Senator Maina called upon the Government to take decisive policy and administrative action.
Her recommendations include strengthening community-based protection systems like Nyumba Kumi, establishing mandatory rapid response protocols for missing children, and ring-fencing budgetary allocations for psychosocial support and forensic capacity.
The legislator further urged for the enforcement of strict accountability for officers who fail to act, stating that
“the protection of children is a shared national responsibility and no child in Kenya should be left unprotected.”
