Audit exposes grabbing of land reserved for vulnerable children

A report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has laid bare the systematic grabbing of multibillion-shilling public land meant to provide a sanctuary for some of the country’s most vulnerable children, even as the government grapples with a surge in the number of street children.

The parcels of land spread across the country were originally gazetted for children’s remand homes, rehabilitation centres and rescue homes.

Instead, they have been taken over by individuals and entities including foreign contractors undertaking capital projects in the country.

With vital safety nets for vulnerable children being replaced by private developments, the State now faces the self-inflicted challenge of how to deal with the growing number of destitute children on the streets and in dumpsites.