A middle aged woman has today been arrested in Thogoto for allegedly neglecting her 10 year old son to loiter in the streets and becoming a street boy.
Speaking from his office, the Kikuyu OCPD SSP Mutune Maweu said that the region was having an increased number of street children something that was to be worked on.
The police boss revealed that 90% of those street children have homes but that they no longer consider them homes because they were forced out of them. He said that it was a serious crime to neglect a child.
He said that one of the street children in Kikuyu town led the police to where her mother was and the woman was arrested for neglecting the 10 year old. He said that the child was thrown out a year ago and told to go out and fend for himself because of poverty.
"Other street children have also helped us in finding those who neglected them. Some of them come from other Sub-Counties in Kiambu and others from other counties. We have communicated to officers in those areas to arrest those parents," said Maweu.
He said that these children like all the others need food, clothing and education and that poverty is not a reason to neglect a child. He warned parents against such cruelty as it is a serious crime.
He revealed that in an effort to help these children avoid engaging in criminal activities, they have taken them to different homes where they will be catered for to enable them to grow in a better environment.