Police Rescues Children Enroute to Nairobi

Police in Nakapiripirit District, through intelligence-led operations, have rescued five children, aged between 16 and 17 years, from suspected traffickers. The children were allegedly being trafficked to Nairobi, Kenya. The victims were intercepted at Nakoye village, within Namalu Sub-county in Nakapiripirit District, on 27th December 2024, at around 1:30 PM. 

Preliminary investigations indicate that all five victims are from Napak District, Lotome Sub-county. Local authorities have been notified about the incident. Efforts to identify and arrest the traffickers are ongoing as investigations continue. Mike Longole, the Karamoja Police Spokesperson, confirmed that the rescue operation was made possible through intelligence sharing and collaboration. 

"This underscores joint security efforts in combating human trafficking, which has led to many children from the Karamoja sub-region ending up on the streets of Kampala and even as far as Nairobi," Longole said in a statement issued this morning. 

He emphasized that security forces will continue conducting snap checks at designated locations to rescue victims of trafficking and arrest the culprits in an effort to combat the crime. Since security operations against human trafficking were intensified, traffickers have reportedly adopted more sophisticated methods. 

Many trafficked children now disguise themselves as those going to fetch water or collect firewood, carrying jerrycans or food, to pass through secure checkpoints unnoticed.