Outrage over Nakuru street children arrested, dumped in forest

Nakuru county government is on the spot after it emerged that the county enforcement rounded up 41 street children and dumped them in Chemusus forest in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County on wednesday night.

The street children, aged between 12 and 26,  from Nakuru’s CBD said the officers claimed the county government was taking them to school before bundling them into waiting vehicles. They were then taken to Baringo County and left in the chilling cold.

“I was shocked to see the vehicle heading out of town. We have done nothing wrong. Why is the county government treating us this way? They left us in the middle of nowhere,” said Fred Etibotu, a father of two.

Baringo residents are said to have noticed them roaming around on thursday morning and alerted authorities. They were then given breakfast before being taken back to Nakuru.

The incident attracted anger from residents and Kenyans at large who demanded to know who was behind the inhumane move.

Lembus MCA,Ben Koech, condemned the act, terming it as illegal migration of people against their will.He called for action against responsible officials.

Kuria Muthandi the Eldama Ravine sub-county officer  also called for a better way to solve the ‘street children’ problem, “The officials were simply transferring a problem from Nakuru to Baringo. Let each county have a rescue centre for children.”

Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika  and County Communications Director Beatrice Obwocha have condemned the act and indicated that they had no part in it, urging Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui to respond to the incident.