[Nairobi governor Mike Sonko. He has promised to help street families after a video clip that went viral.] (Photo/zipo.co.ke)
Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has vowed to help street families in Nairobi to lead a decent life.
In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, the incoming governor said successive City Council leadership and the previous County Government did not handle the street families menace amicably, but he is determined to change things.
His comments were sparked by a short documentary which shows the lives of young children living in the streets in unbearable conditions.
The video features a young girl, who is blind, living in Nairobi’s Ngara area together with her mother and siblings.
“I am deeply touched and sympathize with the street families featured in the attached video,”
“In my view, sending street families to rehabilitation centres to be imparted with skills that would help them land jobs or get self-employed is the right path to take. This will make them earn their livelihood through working and not begging or harassing the public,” he posted on his page.
He further called on Nairobi residents to present their proposals and ideas on how best the families should be handled.
The issue of street families has been a niggling affair in most towns in the country, with even the national government failing to find a long lasting solution.