Mavoko children officer Faith Kamau has said the area’s department offices cannot effectively deliver services due to inadequate resources.
Addressing journalists at her office in Athi River Town, Kamau said the department is ill equipped in terms of human and other resources that include office equipment, machinery and space.
"Due to the fact that I cover both Mavoko and Kathiani Sub-Counties as the only children officer, I face a lot of challenges while undergoing my duties," said Kamau.
Kamau said her single roomed office in Mavoko Sub-County is too squeezed to offer all the services that the office is charged with.
She said the space cannot allow for privacy given that most of the cases she handles on a daily basis are personal and sensitive matters that require utmost privacy between her and clients.
Kamau also noted that her office has a few computers meant to be used for office operations but cannot be put to use given that the structure lacks electricity, a situation that forces her to keep moving with her laptop for convenience.
She said she had a huge work load due to the increased number of cases of child molestation which she deals with each day.
The officer also said the department does not have a government vehicle for its operation and therefore she finds it difficult to move around Mavoko and Kathiani while executing her duties.
She said the situation leads to delays in attending to emergencies due to lack of a reliable means of transport, as she relies on bodaboda operators.
Kamau said she is the only government officer at the department in both the sub-counties hence relies on students who go to her offices on industrial attachment.
"It is not easy to work with the interns. They come to the offices while very green on the job but leave for school once I train them after their three months of industrial attachment has elapsed. This is a training office," said Kamau.