Most Kilifi children's home unregistered, officials say

Kilifi county commissioner making a donation at Riziki home in Kilifi County. [Photo: Courtesy]

Some child welfare organisations in Kilifi County have been operating without registration, a Government official has revealed.

Following reports that some charitable organisations have been exploiting the children they claim to assist, Kilifi County Department of Children has launched a crackdown to root out the illegal ones.

Kilifi North Sub-County Children officer Kennedy Owino said yesterday Area Advisory Council (AAC) had received credible information that a number of organisations were working for children without its approval.

“It is a requirement within the Children's Act that any institution that wants to carry out child welfare programmes must apply for approval from the council in line with section 69-70 of the Act,” said Owino.

The officer said some of the people purported to assist children in education, but disappeared when asked to account for their work.

“We want to bring them on board to see what they are doing. A number of the organisations are not operating within the legal requirements and keep on shifting offices when asked to come out and say what they are doing,” he said.

According to records of the AAC, only 12 organisations have been approved to operate. Over 40 organisations purport to take care of children in Kilifi North.

“Some of them have no social worker, no child protection unit. We will also be looking at the managers of the institutions according to their previous criminal records. Some of them cannot even provide a list of the children. We are concerned about what these organisations are doing," he said.