Drawing on its reputation as the only town in Kenya that is free of street urchins and beggars, social workers and stakeholders in Kakamega town, western Kenya, want county and national government to allocate more resources to child welfare programmes to sustain cultural institutions and tradition that keep children within the nuclear family.

Speaking during the commemoration of the Day of the African Child at Approved School Grounds in Kakamega town, the stakeholders appealed to both the national and county governments to ensure that children are protected, have access uninterrupted education, healthcare and social welfare.

County Executive Committee Member for Social Services and Library Services Jackline Masicha disclosed that Kakamega County government has set aside Ksh8 million in the budget to support children in the county. However, she pointed out that the funds are not enough to roll back rising child labour incidence sin a region that depends on agriculture as a primary source of income.

“We are looking at having a children’s rescue centre so that the rights of children are protected and also ensure their basic needs are well taken care of,” Masicha said.

The CECM said the county government together with other partners is carrying out enough education to ensure that children in the community are protected from abuses in the homes.

“We are also telling parents to ensure they are present to take care of their children,” she added.

Her comments come on the back of concerns that the county is experiencing a high child labour incidence as family incomes decline and children are forced to work on sugarcane, maize and coffee farms. Others are forced to drop out of school to work in goldmines in Kakamega south.

Programme Manager for Women in Water and Natural Resources Conservation (WWANC) Chrispinus Shamwama called for allocation of more funds to address healthcare, safety and education for children.

Shamwama noted that children are traditionally the silent majority when economic and social policies are made.

“We are simply encouraging and insisting that budgets must capture issues of children,” he explained.

He said there is a need for the government to channel funds to the grassroots to strengthen family fabrics like the economic status for the families to be able to take care of their children.

Shamwama also asked for involvement of children when budgeting for their needs.

“Children must also be taught and sensitised on budgeting, let us budget with children let’s not be adults budget for children. Let children bring out their issues; let children bring out their needs so that they know there is something called a budget and that the government plans for them and budgets for them,” he noted.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Jedidah Mumia and Philip Jonathan