The number of children in the labour market remains unacceptably high despite a 55 percent decline by end of last year, according to a new government survey.
A report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics released on Tuesday indicated that there were one million child workers by end of 2008, down from 1.9 million in 1999.
It stated that 800,000 of these children in the child labour market were found in the worst forms of employment like sexual exploitation.
“The problem with this Ministry (Labour) is that it doesn’t have enough resources, it doesn’t have enough officers so we can’t reach out,” stated Labour Minister John Munyes.
“That is a matter I have raised with Cabinet. We are now undertaking the labour reforms and we can’t operate without money,” he added.
Mr Munyes said although the free primary education programme was a major contributor to the decline, there were still one million children out of school, who remained vulnerable to joining the labour market.
The Minister said a four-year project dubbed ‘The time bound Project of Support’ due to come to a close in April this year had enabled the government to fulfill its obligations on the eradication of worst forms of child labour.
Information gathered from Capital News
Photo from Shonda.org
By Catherine Karong’o