Digital platforms, such as TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube have become predatory hunting grounds for individuals targeting children with cognitive impairments, according to a newly released report commissioned by ZanaAfrica in collaboration with child rights organisations.
The report reveals a disturbing increase in the online sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) of children with intellectual disabilities in Kenya.
These children, often lacking the capacity to recognise abuse or articulate their experiences, are reportedly being groomed, blackmailed, and exposed to explicit content at an alarming rate.
With an estimated 2.5 per cent of the Kenyan population living with intellectual disabilities, according to a national survey by the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), experts are raising the alarm about a growing crisis and a system that remains poorly equipped to respond. "The country has witnessed an upsurge in such violations, and one must question why this is happening now.
