Nyeri: As the world commemorates the International Missing Children’s Day, parents have been advised to make prompt reports in case their children go missing. Nyeri County Children Services Officer Joseph Mburu emphasizes that delays by parents and guardians in informing security officers about such incidents complicate efforts to trace minors, sometimes leading to tragic results.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mburu also advised parents to ensure their children are in safe hands when leaving home for school, as pedophiles and child traffickers often strike during such moments. Families can utilize the National Child toll-free line 116 to seek help in tracing their missing child. “We have been sending news alerts to parents through the Missing Child Kenya platform to advise them on the need to be vigilant regarding the whereabouts of their children. In the event a child goes missing, we are advising parents to promptly report the incident to relevant security officers, starting with the police. Any delay in such a situation only lessens the chances of the child being found,” Mburu stated in a phone interview with KNA.
Mburu further advised parents and the general public to follow SOS tips issued by the Government in collaboration with stakeholders, such as the police and Nyumba Kumi community policing teams, to expedite the process of tracing and recovering missing children. He also encouraged involving neighbors and acquaintances in tracing the last available leads, which may help identify individuals who were last seen with the child.
“Since every child lives in a community, it is always prudent and advisable to inquire from them whether they have any information regarding the whereabouts of the child. This may include the last person seen with the child and the place where the minor was last spotted. Parents should also provide details regarding the type and color of clothing the child was wearing and a recent photo. Such details should be sent to the Missing Child Kenya to aid in faster circulation of the information to the public and expedite the process of tracing the victim,” Mburu advised.
The officer disclosed that the County has reported a total of six missing children since last year. Four of the victims were found murdered, while two have been recovered alive. Among these, a seven-year-old boy from Mukurwe-ini who went missing on a Saturday was found in Gatanga in Murang’a County the following Sunday. However, it was established that the child was not kidnapped but had run away from home due to family disagreements. The second case involved a secondary school student from Kenya High in Skuta, who went missing in April while returning home for the holidays and was found in Thika early this month.
International Missing Children’s Day is celebrated every 25th of May, similar to the United States’ National Missing Children’s Day designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the issue of missing children, highlighting efforts to find and bring them back safely, and supporting affected families.
Statistics from the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) show that Kenya has reported over 8,800 children as missing since 2024. In Africa, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that between 1.2 million and 2 million children go missing annually, often due to conflict and displacement. Globally, an estimated 8 million are reported missing each year, averaging about 22,000 cases daily. While a significant majority of these children are located or reunited with their families quickly, tens of thousands remain permanently missing, leaving them vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation.
