Protecting children on the move at the East African community border posts during covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out the protection of children on the move at the East African community border posts during Covid 19 pandemic. A visit to any East African border posts shows that COVID 19 Communication and protection measures are directed toward adults, not children. This is despite the fact that children are not only affected by COVID but are also border post users. More than this, the poor economic climate caused by the Corona pandemic has also led to the rise of children on the move being at risk in several ways. There are numerous challenges that children on the move have had to endure across the EAC borders. It is clearly evident that these challenges have only been exuberated by the covid-19 pandemic. However, despite its many shocks, the pandemic has presented an opportunity for EAC partner states to reassess their strategies and protection mechanism where children on the move are involved. The study recommends that the principle of non-discrimination and inclusion at all stages of the checkpoint should be adopted, as well as adopting effective communication mechanisms and relaying child-friendly information, child participation in the decision-making process to establish the views and needs of the children on the move.