Child labour decreases by 50 per cent

By Susan Anyangu

Kenya has recorded a significant decline in the number of working children in the last 10 years.

The Child Labour Analytical report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, released on Tuesday, indicates the number of working children has gone down by 50 per cent.

However, the report states that nearly one million children are still out of school and vulnerable to child labour.

Further, the report notes that 773,696 children are found in the worst forms of child labour, which include sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Speaking during the launch of the report at a Nairobi hotel, Labour Minister John Munyes said despite the gains, the number of children still classified as vulnerable is a reminder Kenya has a long way to go.

"Of particular concern is the increase in the number of children that are sexually exploited and trafficked. This is a stark reminder that we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do before we can declare victory in this battle," Mr Munyes said.

The report states: "The findings from the survey indicate that about 1.01 million children aged 15 to17 years were working for pay, compared to 1.9 million children who reported to have worked in 1999. This represents a nearly 50 per cent decline between the two periods."

According to the report, majority of child labourers are found in rural areas where the food crisis has hit hardest.

The minister attributed this decline to the introduction of free primary education in 2003, which he noted had seen the number of children in primary school increase from over five million in 2002 to over eight million today.

Mr Charles Nyagute of the Federation of Kenya Employers said political goodwill is needed to fight the vice.