The Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services has announced new rules requiring all cases of missing children to be reported immediately instead of waiting 24 or 48 hours.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking during Missing Children Day on Monday, May 25, Gender Cabinet Secretary Hanna Wendot Cheptumo said parents, guardians and members of the public should report missing children cases without delay to the most immediate authorities.

“There is no waiting period to report a missing child, cases should be reported immediately to the nearest police station, Children Services Office, or Child Helpline 116,” Cheptumo stated.

“We have said don’t wait for 24 hours, don’t wait for 48 hours. Report immediately to the police or to the Children’s Department, whichever one comes faster.”

📌 What You Need to Know

Under the new rules, all missing children cases must now be reported to both the police and the children’s department to ensure coordinated action, as the government rolls out a multi-agency approach involving the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit (AHTCPU) and the Ministry of Health to strengthen child protection and response systems across the country.

The directive has been issued amid a government crackdown on missing children and child violence cases following growing concern over the rising number of incidents recorded in the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS).

Principal Secretary for Children Welfare Services Carren Ageng’o warned that officers who fail to act promptly after receiving reports would be held accountable under the new directive.

“And everyone will be accountable. If it is reported to the children’s officer, we shall ensure that an O.B. is followed up because a case can only be investigated where there is an O.B.,” the PS said.

CPIMS recorded 10,581 child protection cases between January 2025 and March 2026, including 1,636 missing children cases, 1,952 abductions, 6,820 abandonment cases and 173 trafficking incidents.

Cheptumo clarified that the 10,581 figure being circulated publicly does not refer solely to children who are currently missing, but represents a broader missing and found children caseload recorded during the period, stressing the need for accurate interpretation of child protection data amid heightened public concern.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke