As Christians across the world marked Good Friday through church services and street processions, members of the Party of National Unity (PNU) Youth Chapter in Meru County chose to spend the day with street children in Maua Town, sharing food, playing football and dancing together at Maua Stadium.
The event, led by PNU Youth Chairperson Thomas Muchiri Gituma, brought together dozens of street children in what organisers described as an act of love, inclusion and a platform to listen to the challenges facing vulnerable children living on the streets.
Gituma said one of the biggest challenges affecting street children is the lack of national identification cards, noting that many of them are already above 18 years but remain undocumented.
“Street children are citizens of Kenya and should not be discriminated against. Many of them are of age but they still do not have identification cards, which means they are locked out of many government services,” said Gituma.
He added that many street families are also unable to access proper medical care because they are not registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), making them more vulnerable whenever they fall sick.
Gituma said the Easter outreach was aimed at making the children feel loved, accepted and heard.
“We are here to extend love to these children. This is our second event with them and we wanted to hear the problems they go through because there is a solution to their suffering,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Pius Mutua a PNU member said the youth wing was happy to share food and spend time with the children so they could better understand their daily struggles.
“We wanted to see how they live, play football with them, dance with them and make them feel accepted by society,” said Mutua.
Mutua termed the event a success and called on both the national and county governments to prioritise the welfare of street children.
“The government should hear these children and prioritise them in affordable housing programmes. Some of them sleep outside in harsh weather conditions, and that exposes them to danger and illness,” he said.
Mutua urged the government to consider allocating housing units to vulnerable street families under the Affordable Housing Programme, saying it would help shield them from cold nights and unsafe living conditions.
He further noted that many of the children lack basic needs and live without support systems.
Dorcas Kathure, a Maua resident who has been feeding and caring for some of the street children, said the children urgently need documentation and social support.
Kathure said many of the street children are old enough to qualify for identification cards but remain without them.
“Some of these children have already surpassed the age of getting IDs, yet they still do not have them. We have not received support from the government, and sometimes we even lose children because of the cold,” she said.
She appealed to both leaders and well-wishers to step in and support the children, saying they continue to face hunger, neglect and unsafe living conditions.
Another speaker from PNU Mutwiri Mwirigi, said the children possess great talents which are not yet exploited.
“These children have various talents which requires concerted efforts from both national and county governments and well-wishers to be exploited,’ he said.
They expressed hope that street children in Maua and other towns across the county would one day be fully recognised, protected and included in government programmes.
By Kamanja Maeria
