Shame as Nakuru dumps 41 street children in forest

At least 41 street children have been dumped in Chemusus Forest in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County on Wednesday night, details have emerged.

The children aged between 12 and 26 years claimed the officers duped them the county government was taking them to school before bundling them into waiting vehicles.

Confirming the matter, one of the affected children Jackson Kuka, 26, said the officers approached him at around 9pm, hinted of a plan to take street children to school and college, luring him into a car. However, those who refused to board the lorries were forced in. ‘They told us the younger ones would be taken to primary school and the rest to colleges, only for us to end up in a forest in another county,” claimed Kuka.

He said the officers handcuffed some of them before bundling them into the cars and taking them to the forest 75 kilometres away.

 Also affected was Fred Etibobu, a cart puller in the town, who said the officers pretended to have a job for him before he was arrested.

Etibobu said he was taken to a car parked on Mburu Gichua Road. Inside the car he found another cart puller, he recalls “I was shocked to see the vehicle heading out of town. We have done nothing wrong. Why is the county government treating us this way? They left us in the middle of nowhere,” said Etibotu.

There were reports that five of those forced out of town were missing as we went to the press.

Lembus MCA Ben Koech condemned the move saying forceful transfer of people was illegal. He called on authorities to take action on responsible county officials.

 Eldama Ravine sub-county Children’s Officer Kuria Muthandi also condemned the move saying that ferrying and dumping them at the forest was not the best method to solve the street families’ problem.

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