Cases of neglected and abused children in Kapseret Sub County in Uasin Gishu County have increased by more than 20% in the last two years.
Statistics indicate that child neglect increased from 581 to 717 while child abuse increased to 25 from 19 within the two year period.
A representative from Association of Charitable Children Institutions of Kenya (ACCIK) Uasin Gishu chapter, Charles Makanga attributed the increase to parents who have abdicated their responsibilities leaving children on their own or under the care of house helps.
“Well off parents leave parenting to house girls because they are busy running their businesses while the poor parents leave their children on their own as they fend for food,” said Makanga.
Speaking on Saturday during a community sensitization meeting at Langas, Makanga said ignorance among some parents on the effects that their ‘busy schedules’ have on the lives of their children was a major challenge.
The ACCIK National executive officer, Alice Kiarie said the organization would hold sensitization meetings to create awareness on how to prevent child abuse and neglect as well as ways in which the community could respond to issues involving children.
“We are sensitizing the community on how they can engage the families in terms of handling children cases, linking families and children to other service providers so that they can prevent children from being taken to children’s homes,” she said.
She said the government was no longer registering new children homes but only licensing existing ones every three years pointing out the homes were supposed to maintain them temporarily.
By Cynthia Jebet/Kipyanui Cherono
