Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid at a past function. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Haki Africa has faulted the Mombasa County government for doing little to curb the increasing number of child prostitutes and beggars in the county.
The lobby group urged the relevant authorities to impose stiffer penalties on persons allowing kids to suffer in the streets.Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid said is unfortunate to come across beggars and children working as commercial sex workers despite the existence of tough laws aimed at protecting the rights of minors. He also questioned why county and national government officials are doing nothing to regulate the situation. “We are alarmed by the rising number of children being allowed to roam around the streets of Mombasa and forced to do odd businesses by their parents,” said Khalid, as quoted by the Nation. Khalid also pointed an accusing finger at parents who have been sending their children to beg money from passers-by instead of empowering them to be productive when they grow up. Khalid further called upon different stakeholders to join hands to ensure that the menace is controlled.“Haki Africa demands a stop to this child exploitation by their parents and others who take advantage of their destitution,” he said. The remarks of the activist come after a report released by United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) showed that Kenya is among the nations most affected by child prostitution with Mombasa being among the hotspots.