Governor raises alarm over human trafficking networks in Garissa

Governor Nathif Jama during the meeting with the delegation/STEPHEN ASTARIKOYoung people from Garissa are increasingly being lured into human trafficking with the promise of job opportunities abroad.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama says human trafficking networks, locally known as Magafe, are drawing youth into dangerous irregular migration routes stretching from northern Kenya to Libya.

Jama said his office had received numerous reports of young people from the county falling victim to recruiters who present overseas travel as a pathway to prosperity, only for some of those who make the journey to end up in the hands of traffickers.

“We have seen many young people from our county fall into the hands of Magafe networks after being promised opportunities abroad. We need to act early, protect our young people and address the factors that leave them vulnerable to exploitation,” Jama said.

The governor spoke when he hosted a team from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), led by Ben Fisher, for an introductory engagement on the Border Security Programme (BSP). Fisher is the Head of the UK’s Integrated Security Fund.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of growing concern in Garissa over the disappearance of children and young people who are allegedly recruited by trafficking networks and transported through neighbouring countries towards Libya.

What begins as a promise of employment often turn into a desperate search for a missing son or daughter— and, in some cases, a demand for millions of shillings to secure their release.

Jama said the scale and sophistication of the networks meant that no single institution could tackle the problem on its own.

He welcomed the Border Security Programme, saying the fight against human trafficking and irregular migration required closer cooperation between national and county governments, security agencies, development partners, communities, religious leaders, schools and families.

The governor, who also chairs the Council of Governors’ committee representing Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties, called for the programme to be extended to other counties facing similar challenges.

He said the factors driving young people to risk dangerous journeys — including unemployment, poverty, limited opportunities and the attraction of perceived economic prospects abroad — must also be addressed alongside enforcement.

He said the county government will continue supporting initiatives aimed at protecting young people and called for stronger coordination to ensure that trafficking networks are identified and dismantled before more residents fall victim.

Fisher assured the county of continued partnership in efforts to disrupt trafficking networks, strengthen community awareness and improve protection of vulnerable people.

He said the UK-backed programme willl continue working with Kenyan government agencies and local partners to strengthen prevention, protection and efforts to disrupt criminal networks facilitating human trafficking and irregular migration.

The emerging challenge, he said, requires intervention not only after victims disappear but also at the recruitment stage, where young people are persuaded to embark on journeys that can leave them exposed to organised criminal networks thousands of kilometres away from home.

Many families have reported cases of young people disappearing after being promised lucrative jobs or assistance to travel abroad. Some have later surfaced in captivity, with their families allegedly being subjected to ransom demands.

The crisis has not spared school-going children.

In June, concerns intensified after three Grade 10 girls from Iftin Comprehensive School in Garissa reportedly disappeared and distressing videos allegedly showing them in captivity circulated on social media. Their families were reportedly asked to raise money for their release.

The cases have heightened fears among parents, teachers and community leaders that traffickers are increasingly exploiting the aspirations and economic vulnerability of young people.

Security agencies have previously warned that recruiters operate through seemingly ordinary conversations, including on social media, before convincing their targets to undertake journeys in search of jobs or opportunities in South Sudan, Libya and eventually Europe.

In November 2024, police in Garissa said they were investigating five cases involving young people who had allegedly been lured by traffickers and intercepted in Nairobi. Authorities said the network had links to Libya.

Investigations last year identified several routes allegedly used to move victims from Dadaab and Garissa through Kenya and neighbouring countries towards Libya, including routes through Wajir and Ethiopia as well as South Sudan.

Once in Libya, victims can face detention, forced labour, torture, extortion and other forms of abuse, with families back home sometimes pressured to pay millions of shillings for their release. Recent cases reported from Garissa have shown the devastating financial and emotional burden placed on families attempting to secure the freedom of their relatives.

The situation has therefore transformed what was once largely viewed as an issue of irregular migration into a wider child-protection, organised-crime and security concern.

The programme, implemented by Prosper Global, formerly Mercy Corps, in partnership with government agencies and local actors, is designed to combine community engagement with efforts to strengthen border security and tackle organised networks involved in trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The renewed partnership comes at a critical moment for Garissa, where the trafficking threat has increasingly moved beyond adults seeking opportunities abroad to include teenagers.

Community leaders and child-protection officials have repeatedly urged parents to monitor their children’s movements, friendships and online interactions, particularly because recruiters can initially approach potential victims through social media.Ben Fisher, Head of the UK’s Integrated Security Fund, speaking at the meeting./STEPHEN ASTARIKOGovernor Nathif Jama poses for a group photo with the team. /STEPHEN ASTARIKOGovernor Nathif Jama during the meeting with the delegation. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO