Trafficked and Abused: Kisumu’s Alarming Rise in Child Domestic Labour

By Sarah Otiende - As the world marked the World Day Against Child Labour, the lakeside city of Kisumu found itself under a sobering spotlight.

Far from the public eye, children, some as young as nine, are silently suffering in households as domestic workers, hidden from schools, robbed of their rights, and trapped in cycles of exploitation.

It was against this backdrop that Investing in Children and their Societies (ICS-SP) made a bold call to action, demanding stricter enforcement of child protection laws, increased investment in prevention programs, and tougher penalties for perpetrators.

“Child domestic labour is one of the most invisible, yet devastating, forms of exploitation,” said Macrine Otuge, Programs Officer at ICS-SP. “We are here to break that silence, and we demand action, not just on paper, but in homes, communities, and courts.”

Globally, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that over 15 million children are involved in domestic work, many under exploitative and abusive conditions. 

In Kenya, between 250,000 to 300,000 children are believed to be engaged in domestic labour, making it the second most common form of child labour after agriculture.

Trapped behind closed doors, these children are often denied access to education, forced to work long hours, and subjected to physical, emotional, and at times, sexual abuse, with little to no legal recourse.

Despite having strong legal frameworks, such as the Children Act 2022, the Employment Act, and the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act, enforcement remains weak. Many offenders walk away with mere warnings or small fines.

“We can’t continue allowing people to enslave children in their homes and only receive a warning,” Ms. Otuge stressed. “These are crimes that rob children of their futures. We demand tougher penalties to break this cycle.”

Kisumu County now faces a unique burden, not just as a destination, but also a source of underage domestic workers. Recent findings from ICS-SP’s Not Invisible Anymore (NIA) program, supported by the Freedom Fund, show that many children are trafficked from rural areas into urban homes within Kisumu and neighboring counties.

“Our data shows that many children in Kisumu are either trafficked in or sourced from within by brokers,” explained an ICS-SP field officer. “They target poor families with false promises of a better life for the child.”

Once recruited, these children are often isolated, denied schooling, and subjected to exploitative workloads. And because they work within private homes, most cases go unreported, buried under layers of fear, stigma, and silence.

To counter this, ICS-SP has implemented the Not Invisible Anymore (NIA) program, a holistic initiative aimed at eliminating child domestic labour through prevention, rescue, and reintegration.

The program rescues survivors and links them to vital services like healthcare, psychosocial support, legal aid, and education. It also facilitates family reunification by offering counseling and helping children re-enroll in school, ensuring they do not return to exploitation.

At the grassroots level, the program trains community leaders, parents, religious leaders, and child protection volunteers to identify and report suspected cases of child labour, creating a protective shield around vulnerable children.

“In 2024 alone, we reached over 5,000 community members and trained 213 service providers,” said Ms. Otuge. “Our survivor advocacy groups are now pushing for stronger legal accountability and awareness, especially in Kisumu and Busia.”

ICS-SP’s strategy doesn’t stop at the community. The organization is also working with county and national systems to foster coordination among children's officers, police, teachers, and judicial actors. It advocates for law reform and policy harmonization to eliminate gaps that allow child exploitation to persist.

During the Kisumu commemoration, Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o reaffirmed the county’s commitment to eradicating child labour.

“Eliminating child labour is not just a legal issue, it is a moral and developmental imperative,” he said. “A county that exploits its children is a county without a future.”

He also noted that Kisumu has incorporated child protection strategies into its County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) and is working to strengthen Child Labour Committees.

Meanwhile, Geofrey Musoko, the County Coordinator for Children Services, highlighted the need to resolve contradictions in Kenya’s legal frameworks.

“We cannot have one law saying a child can work at 13, and another banning labour under 18,” he explained. “These conflicts weaken protection and must be addressed through urgent legislative review.”

Justice Must Speak Loudly: Prosecuting Exploiters

ICS-SP is now calling on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), law enforcement, and the judiciary to prioritize child labour cases and ensure criminal convictions for offenders.

“Prosecution is not optional,” said Ms. Otuge. “It’s necessary to send a clear message that child exploitation will not be tolerated.”

The organization is also working with legal aid partners to document and pursue justice in cases where children have been abused, trafficked, or denied their rights while working in households.

As the world approaches the 2025 deadline to eliminate the worst forms of child labour under SDG Target 8.7, ICS-SP insists that real progress is still within reach, but only if everyone plays their part.

“We need a collective bargain,” Ms. Otuge concluded. “National and county governments, donors, religious leaders, schools, the media, and the judiciary must come together. Ending child domestic labour is not a dream, it’s a duty.”