Children officers in Nakuru have continued to face numerous challenges in their line of duty.

From rescuing children who have been sexually abused to those who have been facing other abuses especially in conflict embedded families.

In an interview with Mtaa Wangu, Nakuru County Charitable Childcare Institutions' Coordinator Michael Sasi reveals that his interactions with children officers shows the plight they undergo in safeguarding the rights of children in society.

Read: Nakuru children's home owners push for awareness of new Children Act 2022 for family-based care

According to him, majority of the officers have continued to face challenges of transport from one area to another, as they are not assigned any government vehicle.

This, he says continues to hinder their work.

He recalls an incident mid 2023 when a Children officer went to rescue a child who had been defiled.

On their return journey to court, they had to board a matatu.

However, things turned chaotic as the girl kept on crying, with passengers in the vehicle questioning if the officer was really the mother.

The officer ended up being harassed as she tried to explain that she was a Children's officer and this was a case she was handling.

Sasi says such harassment affects even the dignity and privacy of minors who are defiled and rescued.

This, he adds can be addressed if the departments concerned can assign a government vehicle to children officers in all the sub counties.

"If the government can empower the children officers through assigning vehicles to ease their movements, then we shall have helped them a lot," he says.

He adds that government should take children issues seriously and ensure more resource allocation to the children's department.

Related: The role of adoption in ending Nakuru's street families menace

On his part Erick Langat-an officer working with Charitable Children Institutions in Nakuru, says even as more calls for resources towards this department, government should also move with speed to grass root to empower society and children officers.

pmambili@gmail.com

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Pristone Mambili