Nakuru rounds up and dumps street children in Baringo

Some of the Nakuru street children who were dumped in Baringo on February 6, 2019. PHOTO | ERIC MATARA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The young boys said they were arrested in a swoop in Nakuru town on Wednesday evening before they were ferried to Torongo, nearly 50 kilometres away.

  • “We spent the night in the cold before Good Samaritans rescued us and gave us food on Thursday morning,” said one of the children.

Nakuru County law enforcers are on the spot for rounding up more than 42 street children and dumping them at Torongo area in Baringo County.

The young boys said they were arrested in a swoop in Nakuru town on Wednesday evening before they were ferried to Torongo, nearly 50 kilometres away.

“We spent the night in the cold before Good Samaritans rescued us and gave us food on Thursday morning,” said one of the children.

They claimed that county officials harassed them after accusing them of dirtying the town and terrorising residents.

However, Devolution County Executive Lawrence Mwangangi, in an interview with the Nation, could not confirm or deny whether their officers were involved in the swoop.

“I will investigate, because it is not clear. The street children may have been ferried from Baringo County. Therefore, l can’t tell whether our officers were involved,” said Mr Mwania.

Some of the Nakuru street children who were dumped in Baringo on February 6, 2019. PHOTO | ERIC MATARA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Thirty-six of the street children were escorted back to Nakuru on Thursday by Mumberes Assistant County Commissioner Catherine Kerongo.

According to the administrator, six of the minors went missing during the rescue mission and police are looking for them.

“The 42 street children were ferried by unknown people they claim were county enforcement officers to Torongo area where they were rescued before being ferried back to Nakuru,” said Ms Kerongo.

The minors were later taken to Nakuru Central Police Station before they were handed over to the county children department.

In March, 2017, immigration officials smashed a syndicate where beggars from Tanzania and other East African countries were ferried into the town.

According to the immigration officials and the police, the beggars were used to collect money from the public.

The officials arrested 11 disabled men and women aged between 25 and 35 whom they said were from Musoma, Tanzania.

The 11 were later deported to their country.