Cabinet Secretary: HIV to blame for over 4million orphans countrywide

By PEACELOISE MBAE

Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi has hinted that the country has more than four million orphans.

Mr Kambi says majority of them are as a result of the HIV/Aids pandemic. Speaking during celebrations to mark the World Orphan Day at Marimanti in Tharaka Nithi County, the CS asked Kenyans to embrace and take care of all vulnerable children in society.

Kambi said the high rate of HIV and Aids infection has increased the number of orphans in the country from 2.6 million in 2009 to the current four million.

He said the Government would be in the forefront in ensuring that the vulnerable children are taken care of. “The Government recognises the plight of orphans and is ready to offer support and empower them to be able to fend for themselves like the other children,” he said.

The Government has in place a Cash Transfer Programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), which was started in 2005.

It covers more than 153,757 households and aims at reaching 253,000 by June this year.