The government will arrest and charge parents who allow their children to go and beg for food and money along Kitale streets.
The Trans Nzoia Children’s Officer (CO), Ashton Maungu told a stakeholder meeting in Kitale that all school going children must be in school and not on the streets begging and fending for other family members.
Maungu said majority of the children have homes and only come to the streets to beg and go back in the evening.
“We are going to carry out an operation soon that will see the 250 street children either rehabilitated or taken back to their parents,” he assured.
The CO said partners had assisted his office to get rid of almost 1200 street children and only the 250 remain. “My office is working on a programme that will see street families rehabilitated and relocated as a further way of ensuring that the streets are free.
He told stakeholders that his office had established structures from the grassroots that has helped them reach victims of child abuse.
“We have volunteers in villages who have been of great help to us on matters of sexual violence against children in the county,” he said.
Maungu however, said for the child to get maximum protection, all stakeholders must work as a team.
The Trans Nzoia County Commissioner, Samson Ojwang who chaired the meeting on Wednesday said that his office will work with the children’s department and other departments to actualize the operation.
By Pauline Ikanda
