Maua: As Christians across the world marked Good Friday through church services and street processions, members of the Party of National Unity (PNU) Youth Chapter in Meru County chose to spend the day with street children in Maua Town, sharing food, playing football, and dancing together at Maua Stadium.
According to Kenya News Agency, the event, led by PNU Youth Chairperson Thomas Muchiri Gituma, brought together dozens of street children in what organisers described as an act of love, inclusion, and a platform to listen to the challenges facing vulnerable children living on the streets. Gituma highlighted the issue of the lack of national identification cards for street children, noting that many of them are already above 18 years but remain undocumented.
Gituma stated that street children are citizens of Kenya and should not face discrimination. He pointed out that many are of age but still lack identification cards, which excludes them from many government services. He added that street families struggle to access proper medical care because they are not registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), increasing their vulnerability when ill.
The Easter outreach aimed to make the children feel loved, accepted, and heard. Gituma emphasized the importance of extending love to these children, mentioning that this was their second event with them and that they wanted to understand the problems the children face to find solutions to their suffering.
Pius Mutua, a PNU member, expressed the youth wing’s happiness in sharing food and spending time with the children to better understand their daily struggles. Mutua described the event as a success and urged both the national and county governments to prioritise the welfare of street children. He called for government action in providing affordable housing, as some children sleep outside in harsh conditions, exposing them to danger and illness.
Mutua suggested that allocating housing units to vulnerable street families under the Affordable Housing Programme would help protect them from unsafe living conditions. He noted that many children lack basic needs and support systems.
Dorcas Kathure, a Maua resident who cares for some street children, stressed the urgent need for documentation and social support for the children. Kathure mentioned that many street children are old enough for identification cards but remain without them. She appealed to leaders and well-wishers to support the children, who face hunger, neglect, and unsafe living conditions.
Mutwiri Mwirigi from PNU highlighted the unexploited talents of the children, calling for concerted efforts from both national and county governments and well-wishers to nurture these talents. They hope that street children in Maua and other towns will one day be fully recognised, protected, and included in government programmes.
