Nyamira County Director of Children Services (DCS), Rasto Omollo, has urged residents to join hands in an effort to curb rampant child neglect in the area.
Omollo said child neglect cases are the predominant issue he deals with in the county’s children’s office, leaving these unattended, vulnerable children exposed to various forms of abuse and psychologically tortured.
‘In our latest released report in collaboration with the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) and Health Information Technology (Health IT), where 3,141 cases were analysed between June 2021 to December 2022, child neglect had a total of 1,957 cases reported, an alarming trend indicating that disagreements and disintegration in families within our community are rife and have left children in abject suffering. Though last year’s report is not out yet, the trend has not changed,’ Omollo confirmed.
‘The government’s efforts to reintegrate children from Charitable Children Institutions (CCI) back into home settings have faced
serious setbacks due to unending family wrangles, leaving children stranded without a responsible caregiver and we are forced to admit them back to CCIs because they are in need of care and protection,’ Omollo told KNA.
The director further highlighted that the other rampant issue children officers in Nyamira are dealing with is custody disputes, indicating that family conflicts are still high in the area and parents can’t agree on how their children will be raised and taken care of.
‘Neglected children struggling to access proper care and identity are highly likely to develop delinquent behaviour, and cases of child offenders are ranked third highest in the report. Grappling with lack of proper upbringing, love, and care compounded with little or no access to basic needs to sustain these children’s livelihood compels them to resort to crime, unaware of the legal repercussions,’ he said.
Omollo pointed out that the highest incidents of child protection cases are among children between the ages of 10 -15 ag
e categories. Children in this age bracket are at the peak of their adolescence stage, thereby undergoing a series of body, mind, and behaviour changes which may stimulate criminal offences that land them in trouble.
He stated that insights from the report underscored the need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders, especially at the community level, to craft and implement targeted interventions addressing specific needs with a focus on both prevention and rehabilitation strategies to grow a dependable generation.
He appealed to caregivers to always support and collaborate with the children department office to ensure children are taken care of well, grow in safe spaces and loving homes, and are nurtured appropriately to grow into responsible and reliable adults in Nyamira County.
Source : Kenya News Agency