Six nabbed in child trafficking crackdown

Police arrested six suspected child traffickers on Tuesday in Kayole, Nairobi.

The six were seized from a clinic in the area following claims from locals that they were part of a syndicate involved in trafficking in children.

An undercover police officer approached the clinic and posed as a customer in need of an infant upon which he was told to buy the infant at Sh150,000. At this point, he declared they were under arrest.

Nairobi Police boss Benson Kibue said they are yet to know the parents of the baby who was about two weeks old. "The six are being interrogated before further action is taken on them. Such cases are rampant in informal settlements where poverty is high," said Kibue.

Other locals told police the practice has been ongoing in the area for long and that depending on the age and sex of a child, one pays between Sh20,000 and Sh200,000.

Kayole, Dandora, Mathare and Kibera slums have been profiled as the areas with high prevalence.

Police say most parents choose to give birth and surrender the children to the traffickers who later sell to potential buyers. Just like drug trafficking and abduction, human trafficking which is one of the organised crimes is largely conducted by proscribed gangs.

Two months ago, police foiled an attempt by three women to sell a baby where one of the accomplices had reported to police that she had found the infant abandoned and wanted to adopt it.

Upon interrogation, police established the child had been born a month earlier. And in April, a 33-year-old lady was arrested in Athi River for selling her nine-month-old baby girl for Sh9,000.