Prosecutors to protect children against trafficking
A Karimajong child wails inside a bus after they were arrested at the Jinja Road Traffic lights in Kampala on August 18, 2022. Prosecutors have vowed to protect children against trafficking. PHOTO | ISAAC KASAMANI
What you need to know:
- The pledge was among the 10 resolutions the prosecution heads came up with after a two-day conference held in Kampala. The event focused on transboundary crime and the practical approaches to protecting women and girls
The heads of public prosecutions in East Africa have pledged to protect children against harmful practices such as trafficking in persons and ritual sacrifice.
The pledge was among the 10 resolutions the prosecution heads came up with after a two-day conference held in Kampala. The event focused on transboundary crime and the practical approaches to protecting women and girls
“Therefore, we as members of Eastern Africa Association of Prosecutors, resolve to increase efforts towards tackling crimes that specifically target children such as child sacrifice and online child sexual exploitation,” the regional DPPs pledged.
They added: “Our concerted efforts will be applied towards protecting children from harmful practices such as trafficking in persons, organ harvesting, and ritual killings.”
Trans-boundary crimes among others include human trafficking, terrorism, sexual and gender-based violence, wildlife crime, and money laundering.
According to the latest police crime report, 532 cases of child trafficking were registered in 2022 compared to 317 cases recorded in 2021.
In 2020, 96 Ugandan women, mostly children and youth, were stopped at Nairobi’s international airport in January en route to the United Arab Emirates for work.
The girls, who lacked proper employment papers, were victims of a well-established human trafficking ring in East Africa, headquartered in Kenya and operating under the guise of employment agencies.
This wasn’t the first such interception. Almost every month, Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations reports at least one interception involving victims not only from Uganda but also Burundi, Rwanda and to a lesser extent Tanzania. Most of East Africa’s trafficking takes place in and through Kenya.
Speaking at the closure of the conference on Tuesday evening, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice Mike Chibita, urged the regional heads of public prosecutions to build on the current position and look ahead into the future and effectively protect women and children against trans-boundary crime.
