Although Nairobi has been ranked among the best cities to invest in, the growing numbers of street children and beggars negates that image.
Walking across the city, hardly will you walk 200 metres without hearing 'Unco saidia'. While generosity is a virtue that should be nurtured and sustained, the exponential growth of beggars and street children should raise concerns among the authorities.
What are the authorities thinking about these guiltless kids who wallow in hopelessness?
These are the people who, when they grow up turn out as pickpockets unless something is done.
I think the central Government in liaison with counties, need to come up with effective policies to ensure that street children in every Kenyan town are rehabilitated.
It’s high time that our progressive agenda should leave no one behind.
These people can make a difference in Kenya, it's only that we have ignored them and hence nurture them to be now-beggars and near-future thieves.
If Kenya means true progress, then it should consider the lowly—the street children—in order to give them a purpose for living. We cannot say we are prosperous when our streets are hotbeds of ignored innocent kids.
The main mandate bestowed to a government by the people is to instill change and effect development on every sector.
And again, before Kenya forgets and naps in its norms, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should resound this praiseworthy fact that on any Progressive Agenda, ‘no one should be left behind’—including these street children.
That is the challenge that our current leaders are called to address. It is a drastic period for Kenya as it aspires to achieve Vision 2030. Prosperity will come by rescuing these children.
