Former Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a grave warning regarding the alarming increase in missing, abducted, and trafficked children across Kenya, declaring the situation a national emergency stemming from systemic institutional failure. In a powerful public statement, the retired jurist urged the government to treat this crisis with the same seriousness afforded to other high-profile felonies, emphasizing a severe breakdown in state security and child protection frameworks.

Drawing from data from the Child Protection Information Management System (ICPIMS), Justice Maraga revealed the crisis has reached unprecedented levels. Between January 2025 and March 2026, Kenya recorded over 10,500 child protection cases, including 1,952 outright abductions and 1,636 missing children reports. Most critically, Maraga highlighted a near non-existent recovery rate, noting that in the 2022/2023 cycle, a mere 1.2 percent of almost 7,000 missing children were ever reunited with their families. Maraga underscored the human cost, stating, “These are not statistics. These are our sons and daughters who leave home for school, errands, or play and never return. This trend reflects deep institutional failure and weak accountability systems.”

The former Chief Justice identified five counties as hotspots for syndicates targeting minors, demanding targeted and sustained police operations in Nairobi, Nakuru, Kakamega, Homa Bay, and Kiambu. Maraga also raised concerns about the digital aspect of the crisis, noting that over 70 percent of Kenyan minors aged 10 to 18 actively use the internet. He warned that sophisticated trafficking networks are exploiting online spaces to groom and track vulnerable children, urging the state to aggressively overhaul its cyber-protection frameworks to counter this evolving threat.

The statement also brought to light a disturbing trend from 2025: the deliberate targeting of children living with disabilities. Minors with autism, epilepsy, and speech or hearing impairments constitute a disproportionate number of unresolved missing cases, indicating a critical need for specialized tracking protocols that law enforcement currently lacks. To combat these syndicates, Maraga outlined an immediate action plan for the state:

• DCI Intervention: The Directorate of Criminal Investigations must elevate child disappearances to high-priority criminal probes.
• Revamping Helpline 116: Immediate financial and human resource backing to scale up the national Child Helpline for instant rapid response.
• Grassroots Funding: Increased budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Children Services, alongside enhanced support for civil society groups involved in tracking missing minors.

Maraga’s significant intervention adds substantial institutional weight to an ongoing public outcry, as families across Kenya continue to demand that security organs prioritize the safety and protection of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.