Kericho: More than half of street children in Kenya are aged five years and below and do not know the whereabouts of their parents, according to findings by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
According to Kenya News Agency, data from the 2019 Kenya Household Population Census indicates that 46,639 people are living on the streets nationwide. Nairobi recorded the highest number at 15,337, followed by Mombasa (7,529), Kisumu (2,746), Uasin Gishu County (2,147), and Nakuru County (2,005). These statistics were presented during an Inter-Ministerial Policy Steering Committee review meeting on the implementation of the National Population Policy held in Kericho.
Speaking at the meeting, South Rift Regional Population Coordinator Ms. Janet Lunayo attributed the growing number of street children to rapid population growth across the country. She emphasized the need for sustained investment in family planning, social protection, and child welfare programs.
Lunayo also discussed employment trends, noting that unemployment among the working-age population (15-64 years) currently stands at 5.6 percent. She highlighted a decline in unemployment among youth aged 15 to 24 years, from 12.3 percent in 2023 to 8.7 percent in 2024, indicating modest gains in labor market absorption.
Additionally, Lunayo pointed out that individuals aged 60 years and above are the fastest-growing demographic segment, which has significant implications for social protection systems, especially since Kenya’s official retirement age is 60 years. She attributed the rising population growth to factors such as inadequate access to accurate family planning information, myths about contraception, insufficient financing for family planning commodities, inequitable access to services among vulnerable groups, and frequent stock-outs of supplies in health facilities.
The report further reveals that over 90 percent of Kenyan women are married by ages 45 to 49. The proportion of divorced and separated couples increased from 7.7 percent in 2014 to 9 percent in 2022, with urban areas recording higher rates compared to rural settings.
According to the National Population Policy for Sustainable Development, based on the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Kericho County had a population of 901,777, comprising 450,741 males, 451,008 females, and 28 intersex persons. The population is projected to rise to approximately one million by 2026.
The meeting also highlighted challenges faced by older persons in Kericho, including inadequate income for healthcare and food needs, lack of caregivers, and limited family support due to rural-urban migration for employment opportunities.
Kericho County Director of Education Mr. Julius Ngoneshi underscored the importance of education in managing population growth. He noted that communities prioritizing education are better equipped to plan their families and provide for their children. Ngoneshi called for intensified public sensitization through schools, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, higher learning institutions, community forums, farmers’ groups, and public barazas to promote sustainable population management. He added that the county has achieved a 100 percent transition rate of Grade 10 learners to secondary schools.
