Abstract:
The increasing number of State parties joining the United Nations Trafficking Protocol reflects a positive commitment by member states to combat global human trafficking. Nevertheless, several obstacles are impeding effective efforts against human trafficking within the East African Community. This article identifies a range of challenges, including difficulties in assessing the extent of trafficking, low awareness, inadequate victim identification, poor collaboration among stakeholders, and limited access to justice, among others. The article looks at the legal and institutional hurdles confronting the battle against human trafficking in the East African Community. The research approach in this article relies entirely on secondary data to reveal these emerging challenges. The article closes with robust recommendations, including strengthening the legal framework, enhancing coordination among member states, harmonizing legislation, improving cross-border cooperation, and establishing efficient mechanisms for sharing data and gathering intelligence. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of investing in training and capacity-building programs for law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to reinforce their effectiveness in investigating and prosecuting trafficking cases.
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