More than half of street children in Kenya are aged five years and below and do not know the whereabouts of their parents, according to findings by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Data from the 2019 Kenya Household Population Census indicates that 46,639 people are living on the streets nationwide. Nairobi recorded the highest number at 15,337, followed by Mombasa (7,529), Kisumu (2,746), Uasin Gishu County (2,147) and Nakuru County (2,005).
The statistics were presented during an Inter-Ministerial Policy Steering Committee review meeting on the implementation of the National Population Policy held in Kericho.
Speaking at the meeting, South Rift Regional Population Coordinator Ms. Janet Lunayo attributed the growing number of street children to rapid population growth across the country. She said the trend underscores the need for sustained investment in family planning, social protection and child welfare programmes.
On employment trends, Lunayo noted that unemployment among the working-age population (15–64 years) currently stands at 5.6 per cent. She added that unemployment among youth aged 15 to 24 years declined from 12.3 per cent in 2023 to 8.7 per cent in 2024, reflecting modest gains in labour market absorption.
She further observed that persons aged 60 years and above are the fastest-growing segment of the population. This demographic shift, she said, has significant implications for social protection systems, particularly given that Kenya’s official retirement age is 60 years.
Lunayo attributed rising population growth to inadequate access to accurate family planning information, myths and misconceptions about contraception, insufficient financing for family planning commodities, inequitable access to services among vulnerable groups and frequent stock-outs of supplies in health facilities.
The report also shows that over 90 per cent of Kenyan women are married by ages 45 to 49. Meanwhile, the proportion of divorced and separated couples increased from 7.7 per cent in 2014 to 9 per cent in 2022, with urban areas recording higher rates compared to rural settings.
According to the National Population Policy for Sustainable Development, based on the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Kericho County had a population of 901,777, comprising 450,741 males, 451,008 females and 28 intersex persons. The population is projected to rise to approximately one million by 2026.
The meeting heard that older persons in Kericho face growing challenges, including inadequate income to meet healthcare and food needs, lack of caregivers and limited family support due to rural-urban migration in search of employment opportunities.
Kericho County Director of Education Mr. Julius Ngoneshi underscored the critical role of education in managing population growth. He noted that communities that prioritise education are better equipped to plan their families and provide adequately for their children.
Ngoneshi called for intensified public sensitisation through schools, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, institutions of higher learning, organised community forums, farmers’ groups and public barazas to promote sustainable population management. He added that the county has achieved a 100 per cent transition rate of Grade 10 learners to secondary schools.
The meeting was attended by various county heads of departments.
By Dominic Cheres
