BURINI: We must protect children at all costs

Even in the midst of the Brexit turmoil, UK Prime Minister Theresa May spared a thought for Kenyan children.

In August 2018 Mrs May promised a new cyber unit in Kenya that would work collaboratively with the Kenyan police to tackle online child abusers, traffickers and paedophiles.

On March 25, 2019 the cyber unit was opened at the Kenya Police’s anti-human trafficking child protection unit. For all the flak we give this country, this cyber unit is the first of its kind in Africa. If that’s not worth celebrating, I’m not sure what is.

You hear politicians make promises and you can’t help being scornful because promises never get fulfilled.

Brexit did not mean Brexit as Mrs May said, but she had every intention of protecting children.

The speed with which this cyber unit was set up should give our leaders much to think about. How far we would be if every leader who made a promise fulfilled it?

And no, the excuse that the UK had resources to fund the cyber unit doesn’t stand; we, too, pay taxes.

In the State of the Nation address, the President said: “We are not turning back because we are determined to gift our children a better Kenya than the one we inherited.”

I am proud we have made child protection of paramount importance. Child abuse is not just another issue for children to grapple with alone in silence.

Kenyan children will also no longer be abused and their abusers get away with it. Although not all matters pertaining to children are succeeding (education budget yet to be approved), on children predators we are delivering a better Kenya and at a continental level.

Just 12 days later, on April 5, 2019, the BBC reported that the cyber unit had made its first arrest! The arrest involving child pornography was not just a collaborative effort with the UK; the tip came from American authorities.

I cannot help but think of how many other things we can solve expeditiously if we put our independent pride aside and fully partnered with other countries.

Corruption, terrorism, food insecurity, election fraud and the list goes on and on. Collaboration is not admitting defeat or appearing to be weak.

Consistently trying and failing, bringing the country to its knees then calling for assistance is the sign of weakness.

If everyone had not pulled together for the sake of the children, those paedophiles would still be at large, abusing more children to their life’s detriment.

Our country has matters of great urgency, of life and death, where we have done all we can to change things and we remain way in over our heads.

We need help. Our independence will not be jeopardised because another State assisted in locating and recovering proceeds of crime.

I dare say it would be hailed as a success partnership story to be emulated, much like the cyber unit.

“The values of integrity, hard work and sacrifice must be reinstated and held dear in the eyes of our children,” concluded the President in the State of the Nation.

For the sake of our children, it’s time to sacrifice our pride and call on our true state partners to assist us in fighting off what ails us.