Kenyan governor helps 14-year-old trafficked Burundian

The governor of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has come to the aid of a 14-year-old Burundian boy who was harassed by county officers for hawking peanuts on the streets.

Videos of the boy weeping after county officers allegedly spilled his peanuts on the street went viral on Tuesday, eliciting an outpouring of sympathy for the boy and outrage against county officers.

It prompted a response from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who revealed on Wednesday that the boy was a Burundian minor trafficked to work as a hawker in Kenya.

He added that he had been in talks with the Burundian ambassador for the boy to resume school.

He, however, denied harassment allegations, saying that county officers were stopping the boy from hawking outside designated hours.

“Unfortunately, when (he) was caught and the enforcement officer impounded his goods, the minor struggled for the bucket, spilling its contents on the ground after the handle broke,” he added.

Mr Sakaja said he would work with the foreign affairs ministry to address the rise of child trafficking and unlawful immigration.

Authorities have previously said that foreigners, including children and people with disabilities, are trafficked to work in Kenya, often as beggars or hawkers.