Street children sodomised in Kisumu - sad story a must read

They are usually dirty, they eat bad
food, they wear torn clothes, and
are usually smelly. We. call them
chokoraas , while foreigners call them
streets children. We never want to
associate with them in any way.
When important people come to the
country we carry them like bags of
potatoes and hide them because they
bring shame. How shameful of us to
treat street children without dignity
and respect. For Christ sake these
young people are human beings.
When they cry out loud we turn a
blind eye and a deaf ear to them. No
one knows what young male street
children go through every single
night. While you sleep in your king
size bed, a young male street child is
being sodomized by an older male
street child.

On Friday evening, a young male
street child (age 12) approached me
near Tumaini shopping Centre in
Kisumu. He looked weak and wasn’t
walking properly. I could tell
something was wrong. He borrowed
10 shillings so that he could go buy
mandazis but I was reluctant at first.
The young boy instantly broke into
tears. I promised to give him 200
shillings if he told me what was
bothering him and it is at that
moment he decided to speak out.

A sombre mood engulfed me as tears
rolled down my cheeks when the
young man emotionally shared his
experience about the sexual abuse he
had suffered at the hands of older
male street children on a daily basis.
He narrated that young street boys
hardly sleep at night because they
are repeatedly sodomized by older
male street children.

“Every night we the young male
street children are usually assembled
at night and older and strong male
street children sodomize us. They
threaten to kill us if we dare speak
or scream. It is usually so painful
and sometimes I wish I was dead. No
one is usually there to help us.

Sometimes people pass by and only
turn a blind eye to us. To them we
are not humans”
These older male street children use
no protection hence putting the lives
of these young male street children
in danger. They risk being infected
with HIV and other STDs.

“When we go to the hospital or
police station we are usually chased
away because they say we are dirty
and we don’t belong there. This
news sent shivers down my spine
since I found it rather absurd that
security personnel who are supposed
to be the custodians of the law and
order, actually send these children
away when they report.

I am standing up for the plight of
street children in Kenya whose
stories remain untold because no
one actually bothers to listen to
them. They totally have no one to
fight for them, no one to help them
seek medical services when they are
defiled, sodomised and raped.
I therefore call upon the national
government, county government of
Kisumu and other stakeholders to
come to the rescue of young street
children of Kisumu . There should be
more recreational facilities in areas
where we have too many street
children. Lack of recreational
facilities has contributed to
‘streetism’ among children because
they have nothing to keep them
busy.

Okun Oliech