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The Government of Kenya, through the State Department for Social Protection, has launched a comprehensive training program for over 300 social workers drawn from all 47 counties in preparation for the upcoming national census of street families. This marks the third such census and aims to gather detailed, disaggregated data to inform targeted interventions such as rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration of street families across the country.
The exercise, supported by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and UNICEF, will be conducted from June 30 to July 9, 2025. Chairperson of the Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund (SFRTF), Ms. Mary Wamboi, emphasized that the data collected will help identify the origins, nationalities, and living conditions of street individuals to guide future support strategies and policymaking.
The census comes at a critical time, with the 2018 report showing 46,639 people living on Kenya’s streets, with Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Uasin Gishu, and Nakuru among the hardest-hit counties. A staggering 72.4% of this population are male, with youth and children forming the largest demographic segments.
Ms. Wamboi also announced government plans to establish a vocational training centre in Mavoko, Machakos County, targeting street persons aged 14 and above. This initiative, alongside partnerships with TVET institutions, aims to equip vulnerable individuals with skills that enable economic self-reliance. In addition, SFRTF is collaborating with religious organizations, rehabilitation centres, and children’s homes to provide holistic reintegration and psychosocial support services—tackling root causes like poverty, domestic violence, addiction, and societal neglect.
SFRTF Board Member Nancy Oranga reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to transparency, announcing plans to audit all institutions that have previously received rehabilitation grants. She underscored the importance of public-private partnerships in combating stigma and ensuring that rehabilitated individuals feel accepted and included in society. The 2025 census will also delve into social, economic, and political causes of street life, offering a robust foundation for future programs that aim to restore dignity and opportunity to some of Kenya’s most marginalized citizens.