Murang’a East Deputy County Commissioner Charles Muriithi has warned chiefs and other community leaders against attempting to settle cases of child defilement, including sodomy, outside the justice system.
The DCC stated that such matters must be reported to security agencies and prosecuted through the courts.
Muriithi said government administrators, community leaders, and other persons entrusted with protecting children have no authority to arbitrate sexual offences against minors, cautioning that attempts to conceal or settle such cases could undermine justice and expose children to further abuse.
Speaking during the Murang’a East Sub-County Children Advisory Committee meeting, the DCC said reports had emerged of cases where chiefs and other local leaders had attempted to resolve defilement complaints at the community level instead of referring them to the police and other relevant authorities.
“No chief or other government officer or community leader is supposed to handle a defilement case out of court. Such cases need to be processed before the court,” stressed Muriithi.
He warned that chiefs found attempting to cover up or subvert sexual offense cases involving sexual abuse of children would face disciplinary action, including interdiction.
Muriithi expressed concern that many cases concerning child defilement still go unreported, denying survivors an opportunity to access justice and appropriate support, and urged parents, guardians, and members of the public to promptly report such cases to the police and other child-protection agencies.
The administrator emphasized the need to strengthen community vigilance in protecting children from sexual predators, noting that safeguarding minors requires close cooperation among families, schools, security agencies, health workers, and community leaders.
He urged parents and guardians whose children have suffered sexual abuse to cooperate fully with investigators and other relevant authorities to facilitate successful prosecution of perpetrators.
Muriithi also raised concern over cases of children being kept out of school, particularly among some families living in informal settlements within Murang’a town.
He said there were reports of parents sending their children onto the streets to beg instead of ensuring they attend school, warning that such parents risked arrest and subsequent prosecution.
“All children should be in school. Parents who fail to take their children to school risk being arrested,” he cautioned.
The DCC said education was an important component of child protection and development, noting that children who remain out of school are more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, neglect, and other forms of harm. He called on parents, community leaders, and other stakeholders to identify children who are out of school and facilitate their learning.
Muriithi urged stakeholders to remain vigilant and work together to ensure children are protected from abuse, exploitation, and neglect, stressing that child protection is a shared responsibility between families, government agencies, and the wider community.
Murang’a East Sub-County Children Officer Nannies Mutegi said the department will roll out sensitization forums aimed at promoting positive parenting and strengthening families.
Mutegi said a supportive and peaceful family environment was essential for the healthy development, emotional well-being, and academic performance of children.
She cited domestic violence as one of the challenges affecting children, saying exposure to conflict and violence at home could negatively influence their development and school performance.
“We will partner with NGAOs, community leaders, and the church in educating families on positive parenting. This will ensure children are brought up well as we nurture them to be responsible members of the community in future,” she added.
The sensitization programme will bring together a range of stakeholders, including community health promoters, religious leaders, community-based organizations, administrators, and other child-protection actors.
The initiative is expected to equip parents and caregivers with skills on effective communication with children, peaceful conflict resolution, discipline, and early identification and reporting of abuse cases.
The committee meeting brought together child-protection stakeholders to review challenges affecting children in Murang’a East and explore measures to strengthen prevention, reporting, and response mechanisms.
By Bernard Munyao
