Street families in Uasin Gishu to receive Identity Cards

The National government in collaboration with the county government of Uasin Gishu plans to register street families and issue those eligible with identity cards.
The registration of the street families is expected to take place at the office of the assistant chief in Huruma Tuesday.
Turbo Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Mohammed Mwabudzo said the decision by the government to register the families was to ensure that they are able to access employment opportunities and be able to improve their lives.
Mwabudzo added that some of the youths raised in the streets and streets families were already involved in hawking and selling of second hand clothes in the streets of Eldoret town but lacked national IDs.
“Since most of them do not remember where they come from, the little information they have will be used to register them,” said the DCC.
“The Elders, the civil registrar, security officers and officials from the children department will be present to ensure that the activity is successful,” he said adding that they expect to register not less than 100 individuals by the end of the exercise.
“The major challenge posed by lack of IDs is that the street families are constantly harassed by the police and neither are they able to seek employment like any other Kenyan who is recognised by the government through their identity cards,” he observed.
Mwabudzo said the streets families be grouped according to the areas they come from and be able to get training in order to equip them with various skills as soon as they are registered and issued with the national identity cards.
The deputy commissioner warned fraudsters whom he claimed misused the street families through exploitation under the guise of helping them.
“Anyone or any organization wishing to help these families should pass through relevant government offices before taking them anywhere,” said Mwabudzo.
By Luka Cherono