Nakuru children's home owners skeptical about 2032 shutdown directive

As the national government, through the National Council for Children Service, moves forward with plans to close all privately owned children’s homes by 2032, questions continue to emerge about the readiness of public systems to take over this critical role.

Mtaa Wangu speaks with Irene Wanjiru, a Nakuru based social worker at AGC Baby Centre, who notes that she is watching from the sidelines waiting to see how the reforms will be spearheaded.

Wanjiru explains that although children in shelter homes may receive material support, the lack of parental love and the experience of growing up in a family environment remains a significant gap in their development.

She supports the government's introduction of a foster care model similar to those adopted in Western countries, she believes this shift has the potential to offer children something that institutional care often cannot, including emotional security, identity, and a true sense of belonging.

“My emphasis is that the needs of abandoned children cannot be postponed. These children require immediate attention. By now, there should already be more national conversations and visible progress around the development of government-run homes,” she notes.

According to Wanjiru, this would allow time to test the efficiency and operability of these new facilities, minimizing the risk of failure during the transition.

Reflecting on past government reforms in the sector, she warns against introducing systems that have not been properly tested, noting that doing so could put children’s lives and well-being at risk.

She further highlights an often-overlooked concern, the future of children with disabilities. In her experience, most prospective adoptive parents tend to choose healthy children.

“Nakuru also has about 70 children’s homes. Will one government children home per county cater for the needs of all these children? Rather than building entirely new systems from the ground up, the government could partner with existing homes and upgrade them to meet national standards where necessary,” she advices.

In an interview with Mtaa Wangu on a phone call interview, the Nakuru County Coordinator in the children’s department, Pilot Khaemba, notes that Nakuru as a whole has 70 registered children’s homes and children cared in these homes are 3,524.

However, as the countdown to 2032 continues, Wanjiru’s message is clear: reform is both necessary and welcome, but it must be handled with care, inclusivity, and urgency.

Above all, she insists, no child, especially the most vulnerable, should be left behind.