A woman activist from Kisii County now wants the government to investigate irresponsible parents and arrest them.
This comes after reports from Jogoo Children’s Centre indicated that 25 of the beneficiaries had been abandoned by their parents due to family wrangles.
Speaking at Jogoo’s Tumaini Children’s Centre on Monday after donating goodies ranging from clothing to food, Ms Judith Awuor said the cases have gone unpunished with the children being the sacrificial lambs for broken marriages.
She said the government had not done enough to pursue justice for the victims forcing many of them to seek help in the children’s centres across the country.
“We have heard many cases in which children are abandoned following a failed marriage. That should not attend at all because the law protects children. The law hasn’t caught up with most irresponsible parents and that is the area we want more to be done,” she said.
She urged the government through the police department to help pursue parents who had allegedly run away from their children and subject them to the court of law.
“Some of these cases of irresponsibility can be handled by the government. The culprits should be pursued and taken to court to bear responsibility of the child. Each parent has an obligation to take care of the child. Let the children’s home be for the disadvantaged and orphans,” she added.
Deputy Director of the centre Mrs Jackline Ondimu noted the influx of children looking for care and urged well-wishers to work closely with the centre to give the children good care.
“We are experiencing increased number of children reporting to the centre and all we need to help from well-wishers for sustainability,” she said.