Kenya Launches Kenya Emergency Child Alert on Facebook and Instagram

Kenya has joined forces with Meta to launch a new initiative to help find missing children. 

The Kenya Emergency Child Alert (KECA), essentially the Kenyan version of the AMBER Alert system, will be available on Facebook and Instagram.

Kenya becomes the fourth African nation to utilize Facebook’s AMBER Alerts program. 

South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco have already implemented similar systems.

Increased Visibility for Missing Children

The primary goal of KECA is to raise awareness about missing children by leveraging the vast reach of social media. 

When law enforcement issues Kenya Emergency Child Alert, it will be displayed directly in users’ Facebook and Instagram feeds within the designated search area.

These alerts will provide crucial information about the missing child, including a photograph, a physical description, details surrounding the abduction, and any other relevant information. 

Users will also have the option to share the alert with their friends and followers, further amplifying its reach.

Meta will determine which users receive alerts based on their profile information, IP address, and location services (if enabled).

A Proven System for Child Safety

Since its launch in 2015, Meta’s AMBER Alerts program has been vital in hundreds of successful child endangerment cases worldwide. 

This partnership between Meta, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit (AHTCPU), and Missing Child Kenya signifies a collective commitment to ensuring the safety of children in Kenya.

Who is a missing child?

According to Kenya’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, a missing child is anyone younger than eighteen whose whereabouts are unknown to custodial parents, guardians, or a responsible party.

In Kenya, 6,841 children were reported missing between July 2022 and May 2023. 

From July 2022 to May 2023, 1,296 successful reunions of missing children with their parents and caregivers in Kenya occurred. 

The platforms currently being used to address missing and found children are the Child Help Line 116, the Child Kenya Hotline – 0800 22 33 44 and the DCI Toll-free Crime Reporting Hotline – 0800 722 203.