Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer, Geoffrey Mosiria, is facing scathing criticism for posting a video that appears to show a streetchild sniffing jet fuel, with human rights activists accusing him of humiliating the boy and exposing him to further harm.
The video, which was posted by Mosiria on his social media platforms Thursday, generated instant backlash, especially from the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC). Through a strongly worded statement on Thursday, July 10, the Commission decried the act as a direct disregard of the rights of the minors.
NGEC emphasized that sharing images or videos of vulnerable children online not only breaches their right to privacy and dignity but also puts them at risk of further harm and public humiliation.
“Children are not content,” the Commission stated. “Public officers parading vulnerable children online violate their rights and further stigmatise rather than support. A camera lens should never replace compassion, policy, or protection.”
In the now-controversial video shared on his social media platforms, Mosiria is seen walking alongside one of the street-connected boys while questioning him about his refusal to attend school. The footage also shows Mosiria scolding and manhandling the boy before patting him down to expose a bottle supposedly contining th jetfuel.
Mosiria captioned the video with a call to the public, urging them to help identify and locate the boys’ parents or guardians. He claimed the children were not only struggling with substance abuse but were also contributing to sanitation challenges within Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
“Removing them from the streets not only helps save their lives but also contributes to keeping the CBD clean,” Mosiria wrote. “Many of them are used by shop owners to illegally dump garbage, and the places where they sleep are often left littered with the materials they use as bedding.”
Although his purpose may have been to raise awareness, critics argue that the video deprived the child of their right to privacy and exaggerated public stigmatization without offering significant help.
Citing Article 53 of the Constitution and the Children Act (2022), NGEC reminded public officials that all children must be shielded from detrimental exposure as well as exploitative profiling.
The Commission painted a grim picture of the reality facing many vulnerable children, noting, “Over 46,000 children in Kenya live on the streets, often invisible, marginalised, and criminalised. Many face abuse, addiction, neglect, and systemic discrimination.”
NGEC called on Nairobi City County and the Department of Children Services to take urgent and coordinated action, noting that what these children actually need is not public shaming but rehabilitation, shelter, and psychosocial care.
