The government in an effort to mop up street families and rescue them for rehabilitation has established Laikipia county street families’ chapter.
Laikipia East Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Muli said there was a need to devise creative and unique ways of addressing street families’ challenges to prevent them from returning back to the street after rehabilitation.
‘’Develop a unique way to handle what is happening in our region, there is a challenge of street families that needs to be addressed. We have to operationalise the chapter and everyone has a responsibility,” Muli told the street families Laikipia chapter committee in a recent meeting in Nanyuki.
He noted that urban areas of Nanyuki, Rumuruti and Nyahururu were the most prone to street families and at the same time urged for immediate home based solutions.
Laikipia County Director Children Services Tom Ochieng’ said that there were more than 300 street families in the county and revealed that most of them hailed from vulnerable households.
“Most of the street families come from poor and dysfunctional households where caregivers are alcoholic, vulnerable, chronically ill and single parents with no source of income,” said Dr Ochieng’
Dr Ochieng’ further pointed out that some children and youth were drug addicts which made it challenging to rehabilitate them amid insufficient and well-equipped facilities in the county.
Additionally, the County Children’s Director pointed out that there was need for financial support, multi-sectoral approach in addressing street families’ menace, apprehension of parents who neglect their children, education support, and narcotics crackdowns.
The chapter which is expected to be supported through Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is poised to address the plight of street families in coordinating tailor-made rehabilitation programmes for those affected.
Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund Programme officer Jackson Mwita urged for partnership from stakeholders for resource mobilization geared towards supporting the vulnerable street families.
He pointed out that they were at risk and needed to be linked to social protection initiatives aimed at ensuring the beneficiaries becpome self-reliant and independent.
Meanwhile, a census done by Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund recently showed that Nairobi had the highest number of street families of about 15,337, followed by Kisumu with 2,746, Nakuru had 2,015 and 1,293 in Meru.
By Muturi Mwangi
