Mass registration of elderly people aged 70 years and above kicked off Thursday at Gafuru village in Mazuni location, of Tana River Sub County, Social Services Development Officer Mr. Amos Kiosi has said.
Speaking during the Tana River Sub County Children’s Advisory Committee meeting held at a Laza Leisure hotel this morning, Kiosi said all elderly people who are not benefiting from the Elderly Cash Transfer Program and who are not pensioners will be registered.
Kiosi also said children benefiting from the Orphan Vulnerable Children (OVC) Program and are above 23 years will be deregistered because the program covers orphan up to 23 years.
Speaking at the same function, Tana River County Children’s Coordinator Mr. Daniel Waiti called on the committee members to work closely with his office in consolidating cases of early marriages and pregnancies of teenage girls, female genital mutilation, child neglect, defilement and child labour among others.
Regretting that data on children in need of rescue was scattered in different offices, Waiti said that his office could not recommend the establishment of a Children’s Rescue Centre in the County because it has no justifiable records of the number of children in need.
He also said his department will conduct training for chiefs and their Assistants to empower them with knowledge on child protection so that they could keep the children safe.
Chairing the meeting, Tana River Assistant County Commissioner Mr. Samuel Langat blamed parents for neglecting their children’s education saying, many school-aged children are loitering around in Hola town.
Langat said his office and that of Hola Police Station will round up all children not in school and have their parents arrested and prosecuted for failure to take them to school.
By Simon Guruba
