Nairobi — First Lady Rachel Ruto has called on able families in the country to consider opening their homes and adopt children.
Speaking when she visited Mji Wa Salama Children Home in Mombasa Thursday, the first lady observed that this is consistent with the government’s latest directions, which favors absorption of children into families over privately run children’s homes.
The directive is to avert unscrupulous children’s homeowners use it as a cover for human trafficking.
“My husband our president tells us in our homes we have extra bed and homes that taking one more child to adopt as a family is not too much,” she said.
“I want to encourage every Kenyan to think about adopting a child so that we do not have our children in the streets, congested in our children’s homes, yet we can have that extra room, bed, that extra chair in our dining table to be able to give to these children.”
Africans, according to her, are by nature hospitable and open to visitors in their homes, so kids shouldn’t be any different.
She pledged that the government would not permit children to be trafficked or used for other illegal activities.
“We have heard the President stating several times that our Kenyan children should not ever suffer. I congratulate the Child Welfare Society of Kenya for being at the forefront to take a motion to parliament prevent the child trafficking,” she said.
“We will not allow our children to be trafficked out of this country, to be used for other uses that are not proper. We continue to stand with you to ensure we stop this.”
This comes amid plans by the government to establish its public children rescue centres away from the existing privately owned.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore on 30th September noted, having state owned public rescue centres will impede child trafficking in the country.
The CS observed the existence of poor management and lack of proper monitoring of private rescue centres can be used by unscrupulous people to perpetuate child trafficking saying the government is keen to avert such criminal activities.
She stated the government in partnership with well-wishers will work out to have government managed rescue centres where children affected can be held for a while before integrated with families and the community.
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