Factors influencing human trafficking on the horn of Africa a case of Nairobi County in Kenya

Abstract

Globally, there has been the subsequent occurrences of the humanitarian crisis which has been caused by the human trafficking, this has caused great concern to the international organizations and governments. However, there has been difficulty in estimating the extent of its impact due to the covert nature of human trafficking, that notwithstanding, 2 million people are estimated to have been victims of slavery globally as a result of human trafficking. Kenya is a bedrock in of trafficking and smuggling in terms of origin and destination. The dynamics of this phenomenon regarding pull and push factors remains unknown. In terms of the origin of the menace, Kenyans have been trafficked internationally from the Middle East to Europe and South Africa for the provision of domestic labor and sexual services. The methodology used to identify, recruited and transported, can be only known to the victims and the traffickers. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing human trafficking on the horn of Africa with focus to Nairobi County in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to examine the influence of legal framework, social factors and individual characteristics on human trafficking in Nairobi County. The study was premised on the descriptive research design. The target population for this study comprised of 125 victims of human trafficking and 27 stakeholders. The study applied Krejcie and Morgan formula to come up with a sample size of 113 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaire and interview guide. Qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. Quantitative data was summarized using tables and charts and organized into frequencies and percentages. Key findings were: most victims were young people aged between 19-25 years, they had a low level of education. Travelled within a short time from origin to destination, a few had prior employment experience, most of the victims were not married, there was no significant gender difference between them, all had originated from Ethiopia and Somalia, and all came to Nairobi by road. Open borders, ethnic groups straddling border areas, collusion by motorists and police officers manning roads were the main facilitating factors for entry into Nairobi. The alluring factors were: the promise of employment, the promise of safety and better wages. The modus operandi were characterized by particular routes that seemed favorable, the introduction of victims to a trafficker, little knowledge of a person in the destination, promises of employment which were often false. The recommendations were: law enforcement officers on the roads must combat human trafficking; regional governments need to network better on the borders to control the trade, introduction of human trafficking in the school curriculum, creation of public awareness, implement anti-corruption measures along the identified conduit roads.