Ruiru sub-county children’s officer Lucy Njeri has urged residents to take care of their children responsibly to avoid cases of child neglect.
The officer also asked interested individuals to use legal ways when adopting children to curb cases of child trafficking.
“Great care and protection should be given to every child,” the officer said.
“The society has neglected children which has ruined their childhood. Everybody should ensure that every child is treated like a human (being) and not like inferior members of the society.”
She said that child abandonment cases have been rampant due to alcoholism and drug abuse in the area. Njeri revealed that the Nyumba Kumi initiative has helped greatly in identifying families neglecting or mistreating their children.
Njeri advised people seeking children to adopt to use the right avenues.
She said: “Even though adoption is a long process, the parents who are willing to help and adopt a child should follow the law. People want to buy children because they do not want to take responsibility if anything goes wrong or they want to identify themselves as the real parents.”
Njeri said that her office is determined to help all children enjoy their childhood and also assist their parents with the necessary information in bringing up of children.
She said that her office will not hesitate to prosecute any parent found neglecting or abandoning a child.