The government has defended its handling of missing children cases, assuring Senators that child protection and law enforcement agencies are working collaboratively. This follows concerns raised by Senator Hamida Kibwana over a reported rise in cases of missing children. Appearing before the Senate Labour Committee, Gender CS Hanna Cheptumo said the Ministry is strengthening the national child protection system through closer coordination with police, investigators and county structures to improve response time, case management and outcomes for affected children and their families.