Police alarmed over rise in number of city street families

Nairobi city police county commander Japheth Koome. Police in Nairobi have asked the national and county governments to deal with the increasing number of street families. (PHOTO: WILLIS AWANDU/ STANDARD)

Police in Nairobi have asked the national and county governments to deal with the increasing number of street families.

Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said street families were a security threat, especially at night and during weekends when the street children work in groups to rob people.

"We urge the concerned authorities to deal with this problem, which becomes unbearable at night and weekends. They are bad and a total menace," he said.

As the police complained, Governor Evans Kidero said the county had no money to resettle street families that occupy most of the city streets in downtown Nairobi.

"These children come from various parts of the country and the county government does not have funds to repatriate them to their respective families. And even if it had, it would be a violation of their rights because everyone has freedom of movement," Dr Kidero said. 

The youth and social services department under which the rehabilitation of street families falls has been allocated Sh90 million in 2016-17 for the programme. Nonetheless, the governor said he was working on strategies to deal with the increased number of street children in the capital city.