other hand were custodial schools for the rehabilitation and training of delinquent juveniles and youngsters. The Department of Children Services had (nine) 9 such schools in the country, with a capacity of 3,000 children (Ministry of Home Affairs and National Heritage, 1990). Kudrati et al., (2002) discourage these forms of interventions while acknowledging that in order to address the issue of street children effectively, both such long and short-term interventions are necessary. In addition, there should be a focus on preventive (rather than rehabilitative) solutions. For instance, ongoing provision of food, clothes, medicines, and shelter may even help to perpetuate the problem by making street life bearable and intensifying a child’s dependence on programs (Volpi, 2002). Despite their good intentions however, research has suggested that the Committees established are failing to function in a satisfactory manner due to lack of good leadership by the District Commissioners, lack of funds to hold scheduled or necessary meetings, repetitive agendas and lack of clarity of purpose. Other main flaws in these committees were seen to be their quasi-legal status and the absence of a decentralized child care operational budgets at District level (CSC, 2004). In 1998, the Department of Children Services established the Volunteer Children Officers system. The concept was piloted 2004 in seven (7) Districts. The volunteers Children Officers (VCOs) complement the work of children officers by providing supervisory services to children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with the law at the location/village level. The VCOs work under close supervision of the District Children’s Officers (DCOs). The VCO system however, has significantly been hampered by lack of funding, inadequate and systematic training to enhance their capacities in service delivery to children Under the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) government (2003), The Office of the Vice President and Ministry of Home Affairs had the mandate to coordinate all children services as stipulated in the Children’s Act of 2001. The Government also set up the National Council for Children Services to oversee proper planning, financing, coordination and supervision of child welfare activities. Representatives are drawn from relevant government ministries, civil societies, private sector and religious organisations. At the district level these structures are called Area Advisory Councils (AACs). In 2008 the Government reorganized its ministries and the Department of Children Services was
were brought by the siblings who were already on the streets. During the study one girl said that: I didn’t know anything about going on the streets until one day when I accompanied my elder sister, who also introduce me her friends on the streets, and therefore I started coming to the streets slowly and then decided to live here. ( girl, 13 years) This means that most street children have networks that help them to consciously decide to join street life. This concurs with a study done by (Oino, et al, 2012) which argues that street children gain entry into the streets through social links. The decision of joining street life is a physical, psychological and social process and leaving home is habitually a gradual process. Similarly 11.1 % of the respondents came into the streets to look for employment. The study found that, while on the street, children are involved in various activities that can earn them money for their livelihoods. For instance, some street children were selling polythene bags at the entrance of Eldoret Municipal Market, others especially the older street children carry luggage for passengers and business people within town for a fee. Some street children also reported to have been used by hoteliers to clean food kiosks, fetch water and clean utensils and peeling Irish potatoes and in return they are given food or some money as a wage. During the study it was observed that street children aged between 5-10 years were the majority in the begging and car parking business. From the study 6.7 % of the respondents said that they came into the street because of parental neglect and abuse. Some of the neglect mentioned include; being at home without food the whole day, not schooling, and walking with tattered clothes. Some of the children claimed that they were beaten and harassed by their step mothers and same was done by step fathers particular to the male child. One boy during the study said that: “My step father told me to return from where I came from…if I don’t know, I can ask my mother. He doesn’t know me I am always a burden to him”. ( child, 15 years)