How street families in Nakuru continue to suffer in the name of 'cleaning-up' the city
A group of street families staying in Lions Garden. The group was displaced by matatus that re entered the CBD
When the term ‘street children’ is mentioned, it reminds me of the phrase Wanyama wote ni sawa lakini wengine ni sawa zaidi as depicted in the Book Shamba La Wanyama by George Orwell.
Drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, little or no motivation to go to school, as well as poverty at home among others are some of the numerous reasons that have led to street children.
The issue of street children has continued to pose a challenge to residents of cities and various towns in the country.
In Nakuru city, the mention of street children conjures memories of the incident where it was alleged that a group of street children were rounded up in February 2019 by the county government and dumped at Chemususu Forest in Baringo.
The matter that was reported at Nakuru Central Police Station under OB Number 69/7/2/2019 drew the attention of human rights defenders and locals who wondered why such was happening at the watch of leaders.
It is a matter that was later taken up by the Senate Committee in which the current Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika was a member during her tenure as Senator.
Kihika by then castigated the then Governor Lee Kinyanjui for such a move terming it inhumane. Sentiments that were echoed by former Naivasha MP John Mututho.
“Politics aside, this is an unfortunate issue. Most of those people who did this are parents. I fail to understand how one can be comfortable dumping someone’s child in a forest,” said Mututho.
Though the then Governor Lee Kinyanjui denied such an incident taking place, Chairman Nakuru Street Children Charles Opiyo was on record admitting that such an incident happened with 41 street children majority of ages between 10 and 12 being affected.
Charles Opiyo, leader of the street families in Nakuru.
Speaking to the media by then, Opiyo claimed such incidents are common citing a 2014 incident in which at least 360 street children were affected in what is always termed as a ‘clean-up’ of cities and towns.
Three years down the line and with Kihika now as the governor of County 032, another similar incident happened in early September, 2023 that has again caused an uproar among locals.
In what is termed as paving way for rehabilitation of the Lions Garden within Nakuru CBD, street children were ‘chased’ out from what was their only ‘home’ and dumped at Railways grounds near Railways Police Station.
Mtaa Wangu contacted Nakuru enforcement officer John Kihara of the matter but he refused to shed light but only stating it was to pave way for rehabilitation.
Sentiments echoed by Nakuru County Chief Officer for Environment Ken Mungai who added that there was no cause for alarm as the street families were evacuated from Lions garden as the facility is undergoing renovation to fit the required standards.
Nakuru county Environment Chief Officer Ken Mungai during an interview.
But even as the County Government continues to maintain that the street families are not affected, it is clear the street urchins are now more vulnerable than before.
The question remains, who will turn up as a saviour to these lot of children and families who exist on the periphery of society?