Human trafficking remains one of the festering global challenges of our times, but which thrives unnoticed.
Increasingly, Kenya is emerging as a hub for human trafficking, yet the authorities have not seized themselves of it, as it’s often casually.
Whereas the widely-known destination for human traffickers for Kenyans is the Middle East, where hapless individuals, mainly unemployed youth, are ferried with job promises, regional countries and mainly South Africa are the new frontiers.
A series of articles we published last week elaborated how human trafficking is emerging as a big deal in Kenya.
Those behind the practice have mastered the art of subterfuge and are able to criss-cross the region and reach their destination unimpeded.
Not that the authorities are unaware. They are in the know, but are silent participants as they benefit from the proceeds.
Based on the evidence we have, this illicit business is reaching worrying levels and requires urgent attention by governments in the region.
In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that outlawed trafficking in persons.
Together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human trafficking is decreed as a serious crime that violates rights and undermines sustainable development. Indeed, it exposes human beings to grave dangers.
And it is not just human trafficking. There are more serious and related vices that go with it, such as trade in drugs.
Those involved in human trafficking are deeply engaged in drug peddling. In fact, the perpetrators do not make money by shipping human beings from Kenya to southern Africa; their incomes come from drugs.
We must uproot trade in human beings and rein in the masterminds. In this pursuit, Kenya must work with neighbours and enlist international agencies to curb the vice.
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