Parents in Bungoma County have been cautioned against people and agencies that recruit young men and women into jobs on promissory notes of better payment abroad with an aim of exploiting them.
Speaking to KNA in Bungoma town, the Project Manager of the anti-human trafficking campaign programme in Western region, Ms. Caren Mwenesi said many have been lured into fake employment promises in countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia only to be turned into slaves and subjected to torture.
Children and women are at a higher risk of being trafficked and among the common forms include child trafficking where children are subjected to tough labour, cult practices where children suffer as victims with domestic servitudes being one of the largest human trafficking problem, she added.
She noted that the organization has undertaken research in eight counties within the western region including Bungoma, Kisumu and Eldoret Counties where the employment agencies are operating.
The project aims at reducing human trafficking in the society and to achieve this they are partnering with various denominations, schools, NGO’s, National Government, ministry of social services and other agencies in sensitizing the public. The aim is to eliminate all forms of modern slavery and to provide holistic services for those who have been exploited.
“So far in Bungoma County, a number of survivors of human trafficking have been identified and counseled.
“We have five survivors in Bungoma County and I believe we will reach out to many more,”says Mwenesi.
She urged parents to seek in-depth information through area chiefs, village elders and police stations before enlisting their children for any form of employment.
By Muhonja Mildred/Roseland Lumwamu
