- Bore also said children who have been rescued should not overstay in children's homes for long as the centres are transitional.
- The CS also praised well-wishers who have stood up and helped children in rescue centres.
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Labour and Social Protection CS Florence Bore has said the government is planning to shut down all private children's homes as it's drawing plans to establish its own rescue centres.
Speaking during a tour of the Murang'a Rescue Centre on Monday, the CS claimed that poor management and lack of proper monitoring in private rescue homes is the leading cause of rising child trafficking cases across the country.
Bore stated that the national government in partnership with well-wishers will be working towards establishing rescue centres where affected children shall be kept before being reintegrated into communities and families.
She also stressed the need to protect every child’s right in Kenya.
''Rescue centres are where neglected children from families are kept and cared for before being reunited with their families and communities and I appeal to the public to report cases of abandoned children to the authorities so that they can be helped,'' she said.
Bore also said children who have been rescued should not overstay in children's homes for long as the centres are transitional.
''The government's goal is to reunite all rescued children with their families so that they can be raised and become responsible members of the community,'' she added.
The CS also praised well-wishers who have stood up and helped children in rescue centres.
''I appeal to more well-wishers to continue supporting these children as the government is working to ensure that they are reunited with their families,'' Bore said.
The Director of Murang'a Rescue Centre Irene Mureithi also said the facility is overcrowded and she appealed for more funds from the government to expand it.
''This centre has a population of 132 children against the capacity of about 110. Some 50 children are between the age of 3-10,'' she said.
The Child Welfare Society of Kenya is currently putting up Temporary Places of Safety for rescued children in some parts of the country.
The centres give the rescued children a safe space for rehabilitation from trauma and other essential services for their development and well-being.
These facilities are set up in a family manner and once completed will house the children, giving them a homely feeling in contrast to the traditional dormitory setting of children’s homes, she said.
“For those children who are homeless, orphaned or are separated from their parents they will be offered an alternative family care programme,” the CS said last week.
The transformation of the centres is in line with the Children’s Act, 2022 on safeguarding the rights and best interests of the child.
The Act upholds and promotes the rights of children to parental, family and community-based care by prohibiting placement of children under three years in residential care unless extremely necessary.
It also promotes alternative family care for children without parental care and winding up the operations of privately-owned residential care institutions by 2032 as well as streamlining other forms of alternative family care.
The Act has also provided clarity of roles and responsibilities for various actors both State and nonstate in the country.