A report by the US Department of Labour that some of Kenya's agricultural commodities for export markets are produced by children in violation of international conventions against child labour has raised several issues that could have negative ramifications on the country's products.

Internationals markets are sophisticated - and they are sensitive too.

Such reports could draw condemnation that may lead to boycott of locally produced agricultural commodities such as coffee, tea and tobacco.

Rather than seek solace in denial, we should confront the twin problem of child labour in the countryside head on.

We say that because some of the commodities mentioned have made a mark abroad and earn the country the much needed foreign exchange.

While we do that. the US Department of Labour must take the next step to identify multinationals that make huge profits from the said commodities produced by the sweat and toil of children not only in Kenya but also in Africa.

Apparently, the US has yet to ratify the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Commerce must adhere to international norms and the quest for higher profits derived from cheaply produced raw materials should not be an excuse, anywhere, to use child labour.

The multinationals involved must ensure that they source raw materials from farmers who adhere to best international labour standards and practices and which dissuade youngsters from engaging in work for profit.

But the government too must strictly fulfil its role of supervision especially at the farm level to ensure that children are not engaged in the production process and are all in school.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Analytical Report on Child Labour established that there were 1.01 million children aged between 15 and 17 years who were found working for profit or family gain.

This is compared to the 1.9 million children reported to have been working in 1999.

Even though this represents a nearly 50 per cent decline between the two periods, any form of child labour should not be encouraged at any cost.

Government officials are aware that Kenya is among the first countries in the world to ratify International Labour Organization's Convention 138 and 182 dealing with minimum age to employment and worst forms of child labour respectively.

These conventions must be taken seriously if we are to allow our children to prosper at school and in their future lives.

The Kenya government has expanded the education space for all youngsters by allocating billions of shillings in annual budgets to carter for tuition fees for all school going children.

It is therefore the responsibility of parents to ensure that children are kept at school at all times and away from the farms or factories.

But it must not escape our minds that in Africa young people must be taught farming or field work at an early age if they are to adopt the attitude of working hard when they grow up.

In essence the language of rights should compliment that of duties.

We can only hope that the researchers preparing the report for the US department of labour did not lump the routine training of our youngsters in their report as child labour or forced labour.

Training of youngsters in the field and the actual working in farms are totally two different variables.

It is therefore incumbent upon the government to strengthen its offices at the provincial and district level to carry out inspections in all enterprises including the agricultural sector so as to ensure that children are not exploited.

Employers too must play their part to ensure that they complied with the best international labour standards by not engaging minors in the production of goods.

For unless we adhere to the international standards, we could end up having our products boycotted.

We must arrest the situation before it is too late.