The government has revealed that it is in the process of developing special courts across all refugee camps in the country in a bid to prevent child labour in these camps.
The establishment of courts will facilitate quicker access to justice for children who are the victims of child labour in these camps, according to a joint statement signed on Sunday, September 21, by the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), the Ministry of Labour, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Judiciary.
The establishment of the courts will be overseen by the Ministry of Labour and the Judiciary. The courts will handle cases of child labour and other exploitation that minors might be subjected to in these camps.
The government will also engineer universal social protection systems that will enable children who have suffered child labour in these camps to access critical services such as healthcare, rehabilitation, and education.
"The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, working in conjunction with the Judiciary, is to establish courts in refugee camps to enhance access to justice for refugees," the statement read.
"The Judiciary to strengthen child-sensitive procedures, legal aid, and remedies such as compensation and rehabilitation, while drawing on comparative jurisprudence to safeguard children’s rights," it added.
The departments have stressed the need for more strategies to monitor and regulate private spaces, such as homes, where child labour and exploitation are often concealed.
The government has further pledged to reinforce diplomatic relations with other neighbouring countries to combat child labour.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Labour has pledged to reinforce the crackdown, in collaboration with other state agencies, to ensure that those facilitating child labour are nabbed and stiff legal action is taken against them.
The courts have been encouraged to ensure that they further stiffen penalties for child labour violations to deter offenders.
"The various state bodies are to fully implement existing child protection laws and policies by protecting offenders, harmonising conflicting provisions, finalising pending regulations, and ensuring children have clear, accessible, and effective remedies when their rights are violated," the statement read.
The Department of Children's Services has further assured that it will work with the Ministry of ICT to empower youth through online, digital, e-Learning platforms such as Ajira and Jitume to protect youths from exploitative labour.
