One suspect arrested in Trans Nzoia child trafficking racket

Cases of child trafficking have increased in Trans Nzoia County.

Police on Saturday arrested a woman suspected to be the ringleader.

The cases have been reported in Big Tree and Makutano areas, where school girls are targeted to work as house helps in Mombasa, Kisumu, Kisii and Nyamira counties.

On Tuesday, police arrested a woman from Nyabomo in Kiminini Subcounty believed to be involved in child trafficking.

The suspect is in custody as police launch a search for her accomplices.

A 12-year-old girl she had abducted and drove to Nyamira to work as a maid surfaced.

The girl was missing for 21 days. She was reportedly abducted as she walked to school by the suspect and blindfolded and taken to Botabori village.

The girl, accompanied by her parents, said she met the suspect while walking to Meso Primary School when she was abducted.

"She grabbed me with the help of a boda boda rider. I came to learn that I was in Nyamira county later on,’’ she said.

The girl said she was left to work as a maid until Monday when her employee brought her to Kisii town and paid fare to return home.

In Makutano village, Cherangany Sub-county, police are investigating two women accused of organising to have a school girl work as a house help in Kapenguria, West Pokot.

The girl’s mother told The Standard her daughter disappeared from home for two weeks.

Local rights activists led by Richard Masanja expressed concern over rising cases of child trafficking and asked the police to arrest those involved.

The activists said they have launched campaigns to educate residents over threats that school girls face.

‘’We are reaching out to school administrators to educate parents and sensitise children on the dangers of child trafficking," Masanja said.

Trans-Nzoia County Commissioner Jim Njoka warned that people engaged in human trafficking will not be spared.

"The government is treating girls education as a serious issue. We will not allow people involved in child trafficking to go unpunished."