• Some 46,639 people are homeless.
• The report says at least 92.2 per cent of males are involved in peddling drugs and alcohol while 96.1 per cent of females are engaged in sex work.
Image: MERCY MUMO
Half of all street girls and women in Kenya have HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, a census of street families shows.
The report shows 55 per cent of females have STIs while 74 per cent of males suffer skin diseases.
This was the first-ever census of street families in Kenya, which placed their population at 46,639 people.
It also revealed their distressing lifestyles that expose them to diseases and early death.
"At least 92.2 per cent of males were involved in peddling drugs and alcohol, 96.1 per cent of females are engaged in sex work activity at night," reads the census report released by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).
The study was conducted in 2018 but was only released on Wednesday.
The population of Kenyans living on streets is much lower than previous estimates of more than 200,000 people.
Labour CS Simon Chelugui said the data is sound and followed the methodology the Kenya National Bureau of Standards applies during the national census.
It was also verified by the KNBS before the Wednesday release.
Chelugui said they counted all those permanently and temporarily living on the streets.
He noted their deplorable health was of concern.
"Street families continuously face many challenges including, premature deaths orchestrated through mob injustice, malnutrition, inadequate healthcare and exposure to substance abuse," the CS said.
The report shows 74.2 per cent of street persons are males and majority (21,550 people) are youth aged 19-34.
A third of all (15,752) are children aged below 19 years.
However, 68 per cent of all those aged above 10 years have engaged in sex.
Of these, 70 per cent of the females and 59 per cent of males were not using condoms.
Image: MERCY MUMO
The counties with the highest concentrations of street people are Nairobi (15,337), Mombasa (7,529), Kisumu (2,746), Uasin Gishu (2,147) and Nakuru (2,005).
The most cited reasons for moving to the streets was personal choice (33 per cent), search for greener pastures at 29.7 per cent, and search of employment at 23.1 per cent.
For children, the reasons for staying in streets included fear of being reprimanded at home, corporal punishment, lack of school fees, mistreatment by relatives and death of parents.
Unicef representative Maniza Zaman said they will support the development of strategies to guide county level response to street children.
"Seventy-four per cent of the street persons are children and young people. We will need a multi-pronged approach to address the root cause of the issue as well as provide more immediate support for this most marginalised group," she said.
"Supporting families to be able to care for their children in a positive way is one important strategy," Zaman added.
CS Chelugui said street families will now be included in Kenya's social safety net programme.
He said the ministry will use the data to develop the National Street Families Bill and a new Street Families Trust Fund strategic plan.
"So far, the fund has supported institutions that have been rescuing street families and has so far spent Sh44 million and managed to rescue over 1,000 street families," he said.
The fund was established in 2003 and is chaired by former minister Linah Jebii Kilimo.
Edited by R.Wamochie