NAIROBI, Kenya, June 6 – Do you love your children?
An easy question whose answer might sound obvious, but Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha believes is not, he says some parents don’t love their children.
And love, he says, is not about the money you give them, “but the number of seconds and minutes you spend with them.”
“I think we should only produce those children we are only able to take care of,” Magoha said on Friday, after receiving a report on proposals about the resumption of learning that was suspended in March, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The source of anger, he revealed, emanated from rising cases of child abuse and defilement.
Since March, when schools were closed, at least 3 needy girls have been impregnated.
“Very big shame to their parents. I would like to talk to them eyeball to eyeball,” he said, “And because this pandemic is here for a while, our parents must change their mindset and love their children.”
He said he secured scholarships for all the girls.
President Uhuru Kenyatta was expected to issue new guidelines on Saturday on the fate of the nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew and other restrictions, including when schools will be re-opened.
Opinion is divided on whether schools should be re-opened, with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) warning that re-opening schools when the curve is growing will be exposing learners and teachers to risks of infections.
By June 5, Kenya had recorded 2,474 infections.
The Education CS has urged parents to take note of a police alert cautioning against sex predators preying on children online.
This week, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti warned of increased cases of offenses against children online, in what ends up with physical meetings for exploitation.
This has taken toll during the COVID-19 pandemic when children are at home and more exposed to the internet due to online studies after the government ordered schools closed for fear of the spread of coronavirus.
“We appeal to parents and guardians to constantly monitor the whereabouts of their children at all times and be wary of the content they access online, since most of it would not only be harmful & detrimental to their lives but could lead to dire consequences such as kidnappings, defilement or even death,” DCI Director George Kinoti said in a statement issued on Tuesday to warn parents.
The perpetrators, he said, have taken advantage of the online learning in schools and learning institutions where children are undergoing online classes and other digital learning programs to lure children for exploitation. Detectives are already investigating four such cases.
“Predators send children messages in their inboxes complimenting their looks then after gaining their trust, went ahead to ask them for their nude images among other despicable acts,” Kinoti said.
A German national was charged last week for sodomising four minors in Nairobi and Kisumu.
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