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Judiciary to close Lunga Lunga Homes over child trafficking claims
01st December, 2025 12:22 PM
Kwale High Court has ordered the closure of seven Lunga Lunga children’s homes suspected of participating in child trafficking, according to Judge Lepares Naikuni.
Speaking on Monday, December 1, 2025, at Tsuini Primary School in LungaLunga sub-county, during the Msambweni law court and court users’ committee open day for children, and the end of service month, and the beginning of 16 Days of activism in the country. Kwale High Court judge Lepare Naikuni said the homes are unregistered and should be closed as quickly as possible.
“Why do you sustain a children’s home which is not registered if you are not doing illegal activities? We are sure they are doing child trafficking by taking them abroad without consent to do illegal activities there,” he said.
Naikuni said that the government will not allow child trafficking. For instance, the Vanga area, he said, is among the areas with high cases of violence against children, warning that those found culpable will face the full force of the law.
“The other says I was at Migingo prison and I found out that 49 per cent of youth are there because of either defilement cases, incest, rape, or indecent act,” the judge said.
Moreover, he said that early marriage cases continue to be recorded in courts that need to be dealt with, warning those found impregnating underage girls that they will be jailed without mercy.
Insecurity in Kilifi
Naikuni also took issue with juvenile gang persons of interest who have continued to be arrested and remanded, saying issues of parental negligence are a big problem.
He called on parents to ensure they take care of their children, in ensuring the nation has youth who can help in nation-building.
“50 per cent of youth in prison are panga boys. Let us employ parental care to avoid such scenarios,” he urged.
On his part, Msambweni, head of the court station and principal magistrate Leah Kabaria,
warned locals against continuing to use kangaroo courts in cases touching children’s rights. She said that although efforts have been put in place to ensure that the number of cases goes down, there are still more cases that are not reported and mostly solved by elders.
In 2024, Msambweni law court recorded 72 cases of child sexual violence, while 27 cases of children displaced from their homes through early marriage and early pregnancy, among other reasons.
In 2025, 52 cases were recorded on sexual violence against children while 24 cases of children displaced from their homes through early marriage and early pregnancy, among other reasons.
“We want to work together with the community’s civil society and all government agencies to ensure that no child’s rights are violated and go without being reported,” she said.
