A two-year-old child who was abducted in Githurai, Kiambu County, last week was rescued three days later. The motive for her abduction, allegedly by a 15-year-old girl who had been hired by other people, is yet to be established.
In Sagana, Kirinyaga County, parents are still looking for their six-year-old daughter who was reportedly abducted by a man on Monday last week. In Kikuyu, Kiambu County, a social media post last week warned parents about people in a vehicle without number plates who were sighted at a bus stop early in the morning trying to lure children into the car.
Similar cases of child abduction and attempted abductions have been reported in many parts of the country, causing panic and prompting the question: Why are children being targeted?
In some of the cases, children have been killed, some of them after being sexually assaulted. That is what befell a Grade 8 female pupil in Vihiga County and a Grade Six pupil in Njoro, Nakuru County last week.
These incidents, and many others, point to one fact: Our children are not safe. It is apparent they are under threat from several fronts, including sexual perverts and cartels whose motivation has not been ascertained.
The rising threat against children points to a decadent society. A society in which people inflict pain on children and the vulnerable and even kill them is rotten and in need of redemption.
There is a need to urgently ensure the safety of all children in this country. And while police officers should be at the forefront of this effort, it is not their duty alone. It will take the concerted effort of all Kenyans who value children to stop this madness.
Parents and guardians must take extra care of their children. They should wait until they board school buses or arrange for them to be escorted all the way to school, where there are no buses.
Meanwhile, police and citizens must work together to identify and arrest those suspected of abducting and tormenting children. We must all join hands to ensure that children are safe again.
