The government will from June 29th this year conduct a nationwide census for street families to ascertain their numbers and guide policy and financial intervention for their rehabilitation.
The exercise follows the 2018 census which established that over 46,000 individuals were living on the streets across the country.
The census conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and UNICEF, reported 46,639 street persons. Highest numbers were reported in Nairobi (15,337), Mombasa (7,529), and Kisumu (2,746).
According to Ms Mary Wambui, the chair of Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund, the upcoming census will ascertain the current status and population of street families.
Wambui said the census will also provide the government with a proper plan to address the rehabilitation and financial needs of the populations noting that the current funds are inadequate.
The chair committed to the government plan to ensure the country is free from street families adding that the agency has secured a 20-acre piece of land for a rehabilitation centre to host their key populations.
Board member Ahmed Hussein said the census will show the progress made in the rehabilitation of street families to reduce their numbers.
Hussein added that the government has already released Sh50 million to 24 institutions involved in the rehabilitation of street families to facilitate their initiatives.
According to John Kiriria, decried a lack of adequate funding to facilitate the rehabilitation programme despite the huge financial needs of institutions involved in the noble initiative.
He urged the government to increase funding to the programme to meet the increasing number of street families caused by harsh economic conditions facing families.
Kiriria said the number of street families has shot up since the COVID-19 pandemic as more families became poorer coupled with an influx of street families from neighbouring countries.
By Erastus Gichohi
