By Omboki Monayo
Mary Muroki’s story is a chilling reminder of the dangers of human trafficking, a crime that preys on hope and desperation.
Her ordeal began with a seemingly innocent conversation about a job opportunity in South Africa, a dream that quickly turned into a nightmare.
“I was looking for work overseas and had made several unsuccessful applications,” Mary recalls.
“When a trusted friend mentioned an opening in South Africa, I thought my dreams had come true.”
The Trap
Eager for a better life, Mary completed the paperwork, paid for medical exams, and boarded a flight to Johannesburg.
“I knew my life would never be the same. My mind was filled with fantasies of a better life abroad, a place I’d only seen on TV,” she says.
Upon arrival, her employer’s driver met her at the airport.
“After confirming my identity, we loaded my suitcase and set off for what I believed would be my workplace for the next two years.”
The abuse began subtly—yelling, threats, and racist slurs—but soon escalated into physical violence.
“My bosses were harsh and short-tempered. A minor mistake, like washing dishes improperly, could lead to a beating or threats to kill me,” Mary recounts.
Promises of payment disappeared.
“My requests for payment were ignored or met with more threats and violence. I had nowhere to turn.”
Survival and Escape
Mary survived her captivity by relying on diplomacy.
“I never shouted back. My calmness often spared me from worse abuse.”
Over time, she negotiated lighter duties, such as feeding and walking the family’s dogs.
“They were enormous—nothing like the dogs back home in Nyeri,” she adds.
An unexpected lifeline emerged at a local mall.
“People there saw me with the dogs and would greet me. Their kindness gave me hope.”
After years of planning, she seized her chance to escape.
“One night, while my employers slept, I scaled the residence wall and ran. The dogs didn’t bark because they knew me.”
Terrified but determined, Mary fled through the streets of Johannesburg.
“I didn’t look back. My only thought was to find someone who could help.”
She reached the mall and confided in her acquaintances.
“They called the police, who took me to the station. The next day, I contacted the Kenyan embassy.”
Five days later, Mary was repatriated to Kenya.
The Global and African Crisis
Mary’s story is tragically common.
Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART) estimates that 54% of traffickers are strangers to their victims, while 46% are known to them. The UN’s 2023 Global Slavery Index estimates that 50 million people are trapped in modern slavery worldwide—27.6 million in forced labor and 22 million in forced marriages.
Africa bears a disproportionate burden, with 7.1 million victims—nearly 5.2 per 1,000 people—exploited in industries such as mining, agriculture, and domestic servitude.
Child trafficking is particularly rampant. UNICEF reports that West and Central Africa alone account for 35% of global child trafficking cases, with girls aged 12–16 most vulnerable to sexual exploitation. The Counter Trafficking Secretariat has also highlighted varied forms of trafficking, including child labor, forced begging, organ harvesting, and child radicalization. These reflect complex causes such as poverty, unemployment, family breakdown, conflict, and climate displacement.
Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative statistics from 2002–2022 show that children account for 12% of trafficking victims in East and the Horn of Africa. Between 2018–2022 alone, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted over 4,000 survivors in the region, with 12% being children. Most are trafficked for forced labor in agriculture, mining, or domestic work, sexual exploitation, or forced begging—a particularly alarming trend affecting children with disabilities.
Kenya’s Crackdown and Challenges
Kenya has intensified efforts to combat trafficking, including a 2024 interagency task force to fast-track prosecutions and stricter penalties for offenders. The government, alongside NGOs such as HAART, has rescued over 1,200 victims since 2022, but hurdles remain. Corruption, porous borders, and underfunded shelters hinder progress.
“We’re training border officials to spot traffickers and partnering with regional bodies like the East African Community to share intelligence,” says Beatrice Juma, Kenya’s anti-trafficking czar.
According to Roseline Njogu, Principal Secretary for the State Department of Diaspora in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, traffickers are updating their tactics.
“The Kenyan government has observed a shift in human trafficking tactics, with traffickers increasingly luring educated professionals—including university graduates and diaspora workers—to Southeast Asia under false job offers,” she says.
The latest tactic involves recruiting digitally literate Kenyans for coerced employment in cybercrime hubs.
“Victims, often recruited via social media, are coerced into cyber-scamming or other criminal activities upon arrival,” Njogu adds.
“Unlike past trends focused on child trafficking or sexual exploitation, this new approach exploits legal loopholes, such as promises to convert tourist visas into work permits, leaving victims vulnerable,” she points out.
To combat this, the government is promoting regulated employment pathways, urging citizens to use licensed recruitment agencies listed on the National Employment Authority (NEA) website. Awareness campaigns and partnerships with regulated agencies have been launched, with a clear warning: verify job offers through official channels and avoid unverified online recruitment to prevent exploitation.
During the national commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking held on July 30, 2025, Ms. Carren Ageng’o, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Children Services, urged Kenyans to confront the growing menace.
“Human trafficking thrives on deception and exploitation, luring victims with false promises of greener pastures only to trap them in modern slavery. Together, let us recognize that trafficking in persons is organized crime and end the exploitation,” she said.
Ms. Ageng’o told attendees that the government had made key progress under the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act, 2010. She said the state had rescued 153 Kenyans from forced scamming operations in Myanmar, trained over 700 law enforcement and aviation responders, supported 35 survivors with business grants, and established a shelter for 20 victims.
“Their voices are a powerful weapon in raising awareness and preventing others from falling victim,” she said, praising survivors’ resilience.
She emphasized early detection, reporting, and prevention, and urged the public to report suspicions to the National Crime Research Center or the Secretariat. The PS reaffirmed the government’s dedication to victim protection and prosecution of perpetrators, calling for united efforts to eradicate human trafficking nationwide.
Legal Action and the Fight Against Trafficking
Many others continue to fall prey to trafficking schemes, according to Allan Sirima, a program officer at HAART.
Speaking at a community sensitization event on human trafficking at Buru Buru’s Calvary Temple on July 23, 2025, he warned of the dangers of trusting seemingly lucrative offers.
“We’ve seen many cases where people regret their decisions after arriving abroad,” Sirima says.
He highlights red flags: ambiguous contracts, employers confiscating passports, and isolation from support networks.
“If your agent fails to translate and explain an employment contract printed in a language you don’t understand, then you have reason to worry about your safety and welfare once you depart for that country,” he reveals.
“When your employer takes your passport, it’s a sign you may have been trafficked. Always inform family and embassy officials of your whereabouts so that you can be quickly traced and repatriated in case anything goes wrong.”
Sirima urges Kenyans to report suspected trafficking cases.
“If you see a child or adult who looks like they are in captivity, do not hesitate to raise the alarm with local administration or police. They will be rescued if found to be victims of trafficking,” he says.
HAART’s Role in Recovery
HAART collaborates with law enforcement to assist survivors.
“We refer cases to the police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and help survivors to follow up the proceedings, but legal processes are slow, and there isn’t much we can do to change this,” Sirima admits.
The organization also provides shelter, psychotherapy, and limited economic empowerment programs.
“We help survivors rebuild their lives through training and small business grants,” he adds.
For Mary, now 55, life is slowly returning to normal. She has opened a small business and joined HAART’s advocacy team.
“I am a committed anti-human trafficking advocate because I do not wish anyone else to experience the horrors I went through in South Africa,” she says.