By Osinde Obare and Winsley Masese
Eighty-three schoolgirls have been rescued from forced marriages.
Pokot North DC Joseph Motari moved them to Murpus and Nyaramum rescue centres in West Pokot to keep them away from their parents.
Forty-three have been enrolled at Kameris Primary School in Alale Division.
Local NGOs involved in education, led by Lelmal Enterprises, praised the Provincial Administration for rescuing the girls.
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Lelmal Executive Director Jemosbey Misoi called for more effort to end the vice. Mrs Misoi spoke at Konyau Secondary School during the launch of a dormitory project.
DEO Abdi Shekir Mohamed said 15,000 new children had been enrolled in school since last year.
On Monday, the education official regretted that 25,000 children were out of school, herding cattle.
The DEO said ten schools along the Kenya-Uganda border had been reopened. They had been closed due to insecurity.
The DC said roads had been repaired to allow children access schools. He said police reservists had been deployed to guard schools along the border with Uganda where cattle raids are rampant.
"We want to ensure learning goes on undisturbed,’ said the DC.
Meanwhile, the Government has been criticised over its poor record in protecting children’s rights.
Law Society of Kenya Vice-Chairman James Mwamu said many children were exposed to dangers.
"To breast-feed their children, some mothers are forced to appear in court with babies, a gross abuse of the children’s rights," Mr Mwamu said, adding that more than 300 such cases were reported last year. Mwamu added that the rights of children to education was not guaranteed.
"Between 2006 and 2007, though the number of children in primary schools increased from 7.63 million to 8.73 million, the number of teachers remained low, affecting teaching," Mwamu said. He said many women give birth in prison, subjecting babies to poor conditions.
Speaking in Kisumu during an International Society for Mobile Youth seminar attended by participants from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda, Mwamu said every individual deserved justice.
Mr Davies Okombo, a project director with Uhuru Community Development Project, said the plight of destitute children should be addressed.
Mr Abel Muwanguzi, a participant from Uganda, said many street children in Kampala are from Karamoja due to insecurity.
