Nairobi City Centre is awash with street children who target middle-class people, beg, steal and threaten violence.
Some street children threaten to smear people with faeces if they are not given money.
The snatch handbags, phones, necklaces and other valuables.
“I don’t know where these people have come from. They are too many and it seems the number is increasing,” Caroline Ngithi said.
A spot check shows they now camp in front of big shops, restaurants and supermarkets, probably to target middle-class Nairobians.
They can be found at Debonairs near Nakumatt Lifestyle, Dominos on Kenyatta Avenue, Tuskys Beba Beba, Pizza Inn on Moi Avenue, National Archives, Kimathi and Mama Ngina streets.
They are also common on Mfangano and Tom Mboya streets and Globe Cinema Roundabout.
Periodically the city tries to remove them.
Governor Evans Kidero says the county does not have resources to rehabilitate street families and blames the state for not helping.
He said Sh1.2 billion is needed for rehabilitation.”
Gender and Youth Affairs executive Anne Lokidor said, “The more we try to get rid of the street children, the more they come. We don’t know where the problem is.”
