The Judiciary in Kwale County has issued a stern warning to seven children’s homes in Lunga Lunga Constituency, threatening immediate closure after uncovering that the institutions are unregistered, poorly managed, and potentially involved in illegal activities, including child trafficking and exploitation.
The revelation was made on Sunday, November 30, during the county’s Children’s Month celebrations in Lunga Lunga, where judicial officers cautioned that no facility is allowed to house minors without undergoing full government vetting and registration.
High Court Judge Nikuni Lucas Lepares stressed that the State has a legal and moral duty to protect children, warning that any unregistered institution automatically poses a risk to minors.
“You cannot run an unregistered home unless you are running an illegal business. Children are protected by the law,” Judge Lepares said.
Magistrate Leah Kabaria underscored the scale of the crisis, noting that courts in the region have handled 72 cases of child sexual assault in recent months—an alarming indicator of the growing vulnerability of minors in the coastal county.
Kabaria added that 27 children have already been rescued from homes where they were neglected, denied care, or forced into early marriages.
According to judicial officers, the seven unregistered homes have allegedly been receiving, housing, and transferring children without proper documentation, raising serious concerns about cross-border trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable minors. Officials also suspect that some operators may be using celebrations, charity events, and donor appeals as a smokescreen for illegal activities.
Authorities have now declared that only registered, audited, and compliant children’s institutions will be allowed to operate moving forward.
As Kenya marks Children’s Month, the Judiciary is urging the public, religious leaders, community groups, and NGOs to report suspicious shelters or individuals claiming to run children’s homes without licenses.
The crackdown in Lunga Lunga is expected to expand to other parts of Kwale and neighbouring counties in the coming week as authorities intensify scrutiny of child welfare institutions.
