Foundation reports 1,883 missing children cases amid calls for unified national system

A child protection organisation is raising fresh concern over missing children cases in Kenya after reporting that it has handled nearly 1,900 cases over the past decade, pointing to gaps in how different agencies collect and share data as the problem continues to affect families across the country.

The Missing Child Kenya Foundation says the figures show a long-standing challenge in coordination, even as government and stakeholders push for stronger systems to track and respond to cases involving missing, abducted and abandoned children.

Speaking at Citizen TV on Monday, Chief Executive Officer Maryana Munyendo said the organisation’s records reveal inconsistencies in reporting across institutions, making it harder to build a clear national picture.

“From 2016 up until now, our organisation has handled about 1,883 cases in total,” Munyendo stated.

She explained that the cases have been recorded in different phases over the years, with 565 cases reported between 2016 and 2019. She noted that numbers dropped in 2020 due to COVID-19 movement restrictions, before rising again with 406 cases recorded in 2021. The foundation also recorded 158 cases in 2025 and 41 cases between January and May 2026.

According to Munyendo, the trend does not necessarily reflect a decline in disappearances, but rather changes in reporting patterns and increased awareness among the public.

She said more families are now reaching out through different platforms instead of relying only on law enforcement channels, a shift that has widened the scope of reported cases.

“We have started receiving more cases… from different angles and different people who are hearing about different platforms that can assist,” she said.

Munyendo added that the lack of a single reporting system continues to slow down coordination between agencies handling child protection cases, making response efforts uneven in some situations.

Government data shows wider concern

The foundation’s findings come at a time when official government data is also showing a broad child protection challenge nationwide.

Figures from the Child Protection Information Management System under the Directorate of Children Services indicate that 10,581 child protection cases were recorded between January 2025 and March 2026.

These cases include 1,636 missing children cases classified as lost and found, 1,952 abductions, 6,820 cases of abandonment, and 173 incidents linked to trafficking. Authorities report that 78 percent of the cases have been resolved through rescue and reunification efforts, while about 2,328 children are still not accounted for.

Gender, Culture and Children Services Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo said the rising cases are linked to several social and economic pressures, including trafficking networks, online exploitation, poverty and vulnerabilities within households. She made the remarks during International Day for Missing Children commemorations held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

Principal Secretary Carren Ageng’o, alongside other officials, called for stronger coordination between agencies involved in child protection. They also urged wider use of the National Child Helpline 116, saying it remains a key channel for reporting and responding to emergencies involving children.

Calls for a unified national system

Child protection stakeholders are now pushing for a single national database to bring together all missing children reports and improve coordination between institutions. They argue that the current fragmented system makes it difficult to track cases in real time or establish accurate national figures.

Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama has described the situation as a “constitutional emergency,” calling for stronger legal frameworks, real-time tracking systems and enhanced inter-agency cooperation.

He warned that without a unified approach, many cases may remain unresolved or unreported, limiting the ability of authorities to respond quickly and effectively.

Recent incidents involving missing, abducted and deceased children have further increased public concern, with stakeholders saying the lack of a central system may be hiding the true scale of the problem.