Cheated at Birth: How desperation for basic needs drives street children to crime
A group of children on the street mill outside Nakuru Railway station where most of them sleep.
Street children often go through a lot of challenges, the main one being lack of basic needs.
In many cases this leads them to fend for themselves in any way necessary, which often means doing whatever it takes to survive.
In March this year, a young man said to be living on the streets died in police custody. Angry, a group of young men suspected to be street urchins vandalized and destroyed property in the busy market area along Bargain.
Speaking to Mtaa Wangu about this incident, Ms Mary Too, a shopkeeper at Bargain says she heard a commotion at around 3.00pm which she dismissed it as a mere demonstration.
Shortly after, she recalls how a group of young men armed with crude weapons were at her shop demanding money.
“I was calling out for help but no one came to my rescue and I stood there helplessly as I watched them destroy my crates of soda. They also stole sh. 7000 worth of airtime,” she said.
Jane Wangari, a resident of Nakuru gives a horrific tale of how one evening, when she was leaving one of the supermarkets she decided to go through C.K Patel heading to Equity Bank.
“I was carrying a small shopping bag. Upon reaching CK Patel, a young child started nagging me for ten shillings and he was very persistent but I kept saying no. At some point, seeing that the street was empty, he tried to grab my shopping bag and I started shouting at some point he let go and ran away” she says.
Jane says this incident left her traumatized to the point of crossing the road just to avoid children on the street.
Mtaa Wangu had a conversation with some of the street children outside Naivas supermarket along Kenyatta Avenue.
According to them, they only mill around the supermarkets because it presents an opportunity for them to beg for food from the residents leaving the retail stores.
"We are not here to steal from anybody. We just want food and this is the easiest place for us to get it," one of them said.
For Mr. Simon Ole Nasieku, the Nakuru Business Coalition Coordinator, he does not view these street children so much as a threat because it’s a societal issue which the society should be concerned about.
“Most of these children are there because of one unfortunate incident or another. Maybe you find that their parents were not able to take them to school and thus they are desperate. For example, at our business place at Baringo stage, Oginga Oginga road we even go an extra mile to feed them and give them jobs” he says.
He continues to say that is is a social issue that should be handled in a multi sectoral approach by both the County and National government.
Also Read: Cheated at Birth: Inside the world of Nakuru street families, where only the fittest survive
“ I do not view them so much as a nuisance, but as people who should be given a second chance to continue with life,” he concludes.
Charles Opiyo a reformed street person who is their Chairman says that indeed there are cases of theft, but the street children who stay within the city center are not the ones that are involved in theft.
"I have those among the children who I work closely with and they get to inform me of those who engage in criminal activities and I am able to follow it up with those individuals who have stolen the property I use any means necessary to make sure the culprits return the property" he said.
Mr Charles adds that they also work closely with the police. Recently, according to Opiyo, forty phones and three laptops were recovered and handed over to the police.
"Not all of them are bad those who steal come from other areas, steal property and go back to their homes" he adds.