Rising cases of missing school children raise alarm over safety

Rising cases of missing school children are raising alarm over safety and mental wellbeing concerns. [File Courtesy]

A growing number of cases involving missing school children, some later found dead or injured in disturbing circumstances, has triggered fresh concern over the safety and mental wellbeing of learners.

The incidents, reported in different parts of the country since the beginning of the year, have left families in anguish and raised questions over the risks children are increasingly exposed to within and outside school environments.

The latest case was reported in Vihiga County, where a Grade Eight pupil from Masana Secondary School in Masana Village was found dead after going missing on Monday evening shortly after leaving school.

According to preliminary reports, the girl failed to return home, prompting a frantic search by family members and villagers before her body was discovered in a nearby bush. Police said early indications pointed to a violent assault.

In Nakuru County, the family of 12-year-old Mercy Nyambura, a Grade Six pupil from the Lare area in Njoro Sub-County, was left devastated after the girl was allegedly defiled and killed on Monday evening.

Her body, which was discovered in a maize plantation after an overnight search by residents, bore multiple head injuries, bruises on the neck and severe injuries to the face, with investigators suspecting she may have been strangled and tortured before being killed.

Stephanie Njoki, a Grade 10 student at Sacred Heart Kyeni Girls High School, has been missing for more than three weeks after disappearing on April 28 under unclear circumstances.

Family members said the teenager had initially run away to her grandmother’s home before leaving again shortly after her parents were informed of her whereabouts. Since then, the family says they have not received any communication or information on where she could be.

In another case, Naftali Nyaigero, 14, and a Grade Nine student, who went missing on February 7 during a weekend outing, is yet to be found, with family members saying investigations have been complicated by the fact that he did not own a mobile phone.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Grace Wangare, who disappeared from St Francis Mangu Girls High School on April 10, was found this week in Thika after weeks of uncertainty over her whereabouts.

Mental health experts now warn that the increasing cases point to deeper social and psychological challenges affecting children and teenagers, resulting in notoriety.

Psychiatrist and former Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital superintendent Peter Njagi said many children who run away from home or school are often escaping situations they perceive as emotionally overwhelming, unsafe or unbearable.

“Children today are exposed to many pressures, including academic stress, family conflict, harsh disciplinary environments, bullying, neglect and social media influence. Some feel unheard or unsupported and end up making impulsive decisions to run away without understanding the dangers they expose themselves to,” said Dr Njagi.

He warned that children who leave home or school without proper support systems become highly vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, trafficking, sexual violence and criminal gangs. “When a child disappears, they immediately become vulnerable because they lack protection. Some are lured by strangers, others end up in unsafe environments where they are abused or manipulated. Unfortunately, some cases end tragically,” he said.

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa called for collaboration between parents, schools, communities and security agencies to strengthen child protection mechanisms and improve monitoring of learners in school and at home.

“We are deeply concerned by the increasing cases of missing children and the tragic incidents being reported. Parents and teachers must strengthen communication with children and pay closer attention to behavioural changes because some learners may be silently struggling,” said Mr Obuhatsa.

He also urged the government to strengthen counselling services in schools and improve security around learning institutions and residential areas to protect children from growing threats. The revelations come amid reports that 10,581 child protection cases have been reported between January 2025 and March 2026.

Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services Hannah Wendot Cheptumo said the cases captured in the Child Protection Information Management System point to a growing child safety crisis that requires urgent intervention.

Between January 2025 and March 2026, a total of 10,581 cases have been reported. Out of these, 6,820 are cases of abandonment, 1,952 are abduction cases, while 173 are trafficking cases,” the CS said.