Why cruelty to children is a growing problem

Every child has the right to be protected from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices, and all forms of violence. [iStockphoto]

It is unfortunate that Kisii region has lately become a haven of bad news, with the worst reported incidents targeting children.

From the gouging out of Baby Sagini's eyes in Marani to a man accused of beheading his two kids in Nyamache, it is shameful to be associated with such.

I, however, find it more appalling that Kenyans spend more time attaching labels to Kisii as a region rather than the substantive matter of child abuse, cruelty, gender-based violence and homicide.

Asking why all the bad news is coming from Kisii may only be good fodder for online banter. Homicides and child cruelty are Kenyan problems. Similar incidences occur across the country, pointing to a society that has lost its conscience.

For some reported incidences, there is clear disconnect between the government and the people it purports to serve. In an earlier article, I pointed out how the Constitution protects all vulnerable members of society, including the child.

Article 53 of the Constitution states that every child has the right to be protected from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices, all forms of violence, inhuman treatment and punishment, and hazardous and exploitative behaviour.

In the latest incident from Gusii land, the suspected father was mentally ill. On a normal day, no child should be under the parentage of a mentally ill parent. Similarly, the father, too, should have been in protective custody.

Mental health is a real problem in Kenya. According to the taskforce on mental health formed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, one in every 10 people suffers from a common mental disorder.

In June 2022, the president signed into law the Mental Health Bill that seeks to streamline interventions in safeguarding the welfare of persons with mental disorders while reducing the impact of such disorders in society.

However, poverty is the real enemy here. There is a mountain of evidence that financial stress on families contributes immensely to a torn-down social fabric leading to broken marriages and dysfunctional families. All these are a precursor to mental health disorders, which in turn may lead to cruelty.

The onus is on the government to make sure families have the basic conditions necessary for bringing up children. This is the true aspiration of a social democratic country.

I suggest that the government works with Nyumba Kumi officials and the regional administration to identify families that may need support. Government must create a platform where anyone can make a distress call on behalf of children in environments where their welfare is threatened.
None of these interventions has anything to do with tribe or region.

-The writer is an anchor at Radio Maisha