Street families population drops by 60pc in eight years, new census reveals

The report shows that the population of street-connected persons has declined sharply from over 46,000 in 2018 to 18,049 in 2025, with Nairobi, Nakuru and Mombasa counties still recording the highest numbers.

Of the 18,049 street-connected persons captured in the census, 78.6 percent are male and 21.4 percent female.

Nairobi leads with 4,690 street persons, followed by Nakuru (1,546), Mombasa (1,428) and Kiambu (1,370). Nyandarua, Lamu and Tana River recorded the lowest numbers.

Speaking during the launch of the report at Avian Courts in Naivasha, Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services Hanna Wendot said the government remained committed to scaling up rehabilitation and reintegration programs to eliminate street families in the country.

She noted that since the rehabilitation exercise began in 2003, Kenya had recorded notable progress and was on track to uphold equal human dignity for all citizens.

"Rising poverty, economic hardships, drug and substance abuse, and social and family instability are the major factors driving most people to the streets," Wendot said.

The CS revealed that the government had allocated Sh40 million toward rehabilitation programs, capacity building and skills training for vulnerable persons. She added that most of the street-connected population had expressed willingness to leave street life if offered viable alternatives.

During the event, Wendot also launched the Street Families Information Management System, a digital platform designed to provide real-time data and statistics to guide evidence-based interventions.

Touching on the ongoing wave of school arson and unrest, the CS condemned the destructive behaviour that has forced the closure of several institutions, calling for a collective parental and societal approach to address the crisis.

Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund Board Chair Mary Wambui said the agency was seeking additional funding to expand rehabilitation systems and equip those in rescue centers with life-enabling skills.

"Increased poverty levels, corporal punishment, denial of food and drunkard parents are the main causes of children running away to the streets," Wambui said.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Director General Macdonald Obudho attributed the drastic decline to tailor-made interventions and strengthened family support structures. He added that KNBS would incorporate refugees and asylum seekers in the next national census planned for the 2028/29 financial year.

The report also raised concern over widespread abuse, revealing that street families — particularly girls and women — continue to suffer sexual, physical and emotional violence at the hands of both fellow street dwellers and law enforcement officers.

Additionally, 71 percent of street families were found to have used at least one substance, with glue, bhang and alcohol being the most commonly abused. The report also highlighted limited access to healthcare