Nakuru ranked second in population of street-connected persons

‎Nakuru County has emerged as the county with the second-highest population of street-connected persons in Kenya, according to the 2025 National Census for Street Families Report.

‎The report indicates that Nakuru recorded 1,546 street-connected persons, coming only behind Nairobi's 4,690 and ahead of Mombasa's 1,428, underscoring the growing social challenge facing one of Kenya's fastest-growing urban centers.

‎According to the findings, the majority of street-connected persons are young people aged between 18 and 34 years, while more than a quarter are children below the age of 18. Men account for nearly four out of every five people living on the streets.

‎County Chief Officer for Social Services Gladys Kamuren attributed Nakuru's high numbers to its strategic location along the Nairobi-Nakuru transport corridor. 

‎She notes that many street-connected persons originate from Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Kisumu, Nyandarua and even neighbouring Uganda.

‎"Most of them come to Nakuru intending to proceed to Nairobi in search of better opportunities, but many end up remaining here after failing to secure employment or enough resources to continue their journey," she says.

‎The report identifies the search for employment as the leading factor pushing people to the streets. The respondents who relocated to their current locations cited employment as the primary reason for migration, while personal choice and peer influence were also contributing factors. Nearly half of all street-connected persons had migrated from other counties in pursuit of better livelihoods.

‎Once on the streets, survival largely depends on informal and unstable sources of income. More than half rely on casual labour, while many others survive through waste picking and begging. Women are more likely to depend on begging, with some resorting to commercial sex work because of economic hardship.

‎Children face even harsher circumstances. The report found that more than 70 per cent of children aged between five and 14 years rely on begging as their main source of survival, exposing them to exploitation and limiting their access to education and a safe childhood. Poverty, family conflict, corporal punishment, food insecurity and parental alcoholism were identified as the leading causes of children leaving home.

‎Despite these challenges, the report offers hope, with 89.2 per cent of street-connected persons expressing willingness to leave the streets if provided with housing, employment opportunities, vocational training and rehabilitation services. 

‎It recommends stronger collaboration between national and county governments, civil society organisations and development partners to expand employment opportunities, strengthen social protection programmes and support family reunification. 

‎The nationwide census was conducted by the Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund in collaboration with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).