Street children turn to risky sexual behaviour and drugs for survival
National
By
Antony Gitonga
| Jun 20, 2026
At just 15 years old, a girl living on the streets in Naivasha is already raising two children aged two and one. Having fled Kinangop in Nyandarua County three years ago, she says she does not know the father of her first child. The father of her second child is a 17-year-old street boy with whom she has been in a relationship for two years.
“I could not afford condoms or contraceptives, and I ended up having two children whom I am struggling to raise on the streets,” she says, adding that she does not rule out having more children.
Her story reflects findings contained in the 2025 National Census for Street Families, which shows that 72.5 per cent of street persons aged 10 years and above have engaged in sexual intercourse, while only 41.2 per cent reported using condoms.
The survey, conducted by the Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund in collaboration with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), recorded 18,049 street persons across the 47 counties, down from 46,639 in 2018.
According to the report, males account for 78.6 per cent of the street population, females 21.4 per cent and intersex persons 0.04 per cent. Early sexual activity remains common, with 14.4 per cent of children aged 10 to 14 years and 55.4 per cent of those aged 15 to 19 reporting sexual experience.
READ MORE
Falling crude oil prices raise hope of relief at the pump
Why US has beaten China to clinch Kenya's Sh9.7tr minerals deal
From financing to procurement: Who is fooling whom in JKIA expansion deal?
Informed consumer is key to dealing with fake motor insurance certificates
Africa's venture capital shift is quiet, but transformative
State to fight fakes with digital product authentication mark
Mwalimu Sacco taps NCBA to rev up salary processing
Why firms are seeking spaces that drive impact, not just transactions
Ruto calls for equal partnerships with wealthy nations, says era of aid is over
Among women who have given birth, 58.2 per cent are raising their children on the streets, including more than two-thirds of mothers aged between 10 and 24 years.
Acting Trust Fund chief executive Caroline Chepkemoi Towett said Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru have the highest numbers of street families, followed by Kiambu and Uasin Gishu. Nyandarua, Lamu and Tana River recorded the lowest numbers.
“This report provides valuable information for planning and allocation of resources to support some of the most vulnerable people in society,” she said.
Towett attributed the decline in street populations to rehabilitation programmes, but warned that poverty, urbanisation, climate change and post-pandemic economic challenges continue to fuel vulnerability.
The report found that street families are exposed to hazardous working conditions and poor sanitation, with 53.9 per cent relying on open defecation or disposal in bushes and fields.
Most street persons depend on casual labour, waste picking and begging for survival. Substance abuse remains widespread, with 71.5 per cent reporting use of at least one substance. Bhang was the most common, followed by alcohol, tobacco and miraa or muguka. Glue use was most prevalent among children and adolescents.
Malaria, chest-related illnesses and fever were identified as the leading health problems.
KNBS Director General Macdonald Obudho said better family support systems are key to reducing the number of people living on the streets.
The report found that nearly half of street children had lost at least one parent, while nine per cent were total orphans. Despite this, many still have living relatives, offering opportunities for reintegration.
Board chairperson Mary Wambui said poverty, family instability, school dropout, substance abuse and domestic violence remain major drivers pushing children onto the streets. “Most of those living on the streets are willing to leave if viable alternatives are provided,” she said.
The report recommends strengthening social protection programmes, keeping children in school, supporting vulnerable families and expanding community-based child protection systems to prevent more children from ending up on the streets.
MOST READ
- Kenya's first dollar-denominated green property fund oversubscribed as investors seek hard-currency returns
BUSINESS
By Brian Ngugi
- Why US has beaten China to clinch Kenya's Sh9.7tr minerals deal
ENTERPRISE
By Brian Ngugi
- From financing to procurement: Who is fooling whom in JKIA expansion deal?
BUSINESS