Nairobi: The government will commence a nationwide census for street families starting June 29th this year to determine their numbers and inform policy and financial strategies for their rehabilitation.

According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative is a follow-up to the 2018 census conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and UNICEF, which identified over 46,000 individuals living on the streets across the country. The previous census reported a significant concentration of street persons in Nairobi (15,337), Mombasa (7,529), and Kisumu (2,746).

Ms. Mary Wambui, chair of the Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund, emphasized that the upcoming census aims to ascertain the current status and population of street families. She noted that the findings would enable the government to develop a comprehensive plan to address the rehabilitation and financial needs of these populations, as current funds are insufficient.

Wambui also highlighted the government’s commitment to eradicating street families, mentioning that a 20-acre piece of land has been secured for a rehabilitation center to support these key populations. Board member Ahmed Hussein added that the census would help assess the progress made in reducing the number of street families through rehabilitation efforts.

Furthermore, Hussein revealed that the government has already allocated Sh50 million to 24 institutions involved in street family rehabilitation to support their initiatives. John Kiriria, another stakeholder, expressed concerns about the lack of adequate funding to sustain the rehabilitation program, given the substantial financial requirements of the institutions involved.

Kiriria urged the government to increase funding to the program, pointing out that the number of street families has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic due to worsening economic conditions and an influx of street families from neighboring countries.