Kenya: Street Children Arrested, Parent Charged in Eldoret

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Kennedy Lesiew

1 July 2011

Fifty street children have been arrested in Eldoret and a parent charged with neglecting his children. Elkana Kakai had rushed to the police station to have his two children set free when he was arrested and taken to court.

Magistrate Nathan Shiundu ordered the man who was dressed in tattered clothes to report to the Eldoret district children’s officer every 14 days accompanied by his children. The magistrate also told Kakai to ensure his children are well provided for and that they don’t go back to the streets.

The other children were remanded at the Eldoret juvenile home until July 6 when a report from the children officer Philip Nzenge will be produced. The officer is supposed to write a report on how the children’s plight can best be addressed after their parents or guardians failed to appear in court.

Nzenge told the court the children should have been either at home or in school and loitering in the streets is contrary to the Children’s Act.

He asked the court to order the parent who appeared in court to be taking the children to his office so he can monitor the welfare of the children.

He further pleaded with the court to give him one week so that together with police officers, they can arrest parents to the other children.

The prosecution had told the court that on June 29 this year, within Eldoret township, police officers led by the children’s officer arrested the children who were found loitering in the streets and took them to the Eldoret police station.

There has been an increase of street children in Eldoret town, majority of them said to be from Western. Nzenge said parents who send their children to beg in the streets will be arrested.

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