Authorities in Mbeere South Sub-county in Embu County have warned parents against child labour, which is closely linked to the popular and lucrative Muguka (khat) farming and sand harvesting in the area.
Deputy County Commissioner Jacob Mwaura said they have been grappling with rising cases of school dropout, as teenagers who ought to be in school engage in the two businesses due to the allure of quick money.
He warned that parents who are found engaging their children in manual labour instead of keeping them in school will face arrest and prosecution.
“This practice is a drawback to the government policy of ensuring all children in the county attain basic education up to secondary school level,” he said.
He said they are carrying out mop-up exercises through local administrators and Nyumba Kumi clusters to identify children engaged in manual labour and return them to school.
Speaking on Friday at Kirima Secondary School, where he joined Senator Alexander Mundigi who was donating computers to schools in the area, the DCC also said cases of early marriages and defilement were high and had been fuelled by the two trades.
He said young girls were being lured into early marriages or pregnancies by young men making quick money from these businesses, and eventually dropping out of school.
“We have witnessed a rise in defilement cases and we want men to understand that any girl below the age of 18 is legally not allowed to get married or engage in a sexual relationship,” he stated.
He warned perpetrators that defilement is a serious offence in the country that can attract long jail terms or life imprisonment, and asked parents to advise their young men accordingly.
Senator Mundigi echoed his sentiments and called on authorities to enhance surveillance to curb child exploitation.
He noted that the government has invested heavily in education to ensure 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school and provide a path to a better future for children.
“This investment should not be allowed to go to waste and that is why we are calling on authorities to take stern action against any parent or investor engaging minors in manual labour,” he said.
Senator Mundigi donated computers to several schools in the area to bolster the government's digital literacy programme.
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