Improper waste disposal due to poor conditions of pit latrines in Kisii County is endangering the lives of thousands of children both at home and school.
Majority of county rural residents are exposed to this health risk as they either do not have latrines or the ones that are there are not hygienically maintained.
Consequently, the county Public Health Officer Gladys Aming’a said this is a hazard to children who like playing with soil as it might be contaminated from leaking pit latrines.
“Most homes have poorly constructed latrines or people relief themselves in the bush and this exposes children to more danger,” she said.
The officer, addressing the public in Kisii town during the World International Day of the Child, told parents that it is their responsibility to provide good medical care, shelter, food and education for their children as part of their rights.
She gave a notice of three months for residents who do not have latrines to construct them or face arrest.
“My office is going to work with security organs to arrest those parents who violate the law to be arraigned in court,” she said.
Her sentiments were echoed by Abagusii Elders Development Council Secretary Bosire Angwenyi, who also blamed widespread gender violence in the region for the poor development of children.
He said family quarrels affect children’s growth and development because they are exposed to fear and trauma that interfere with their health.
“We appeal to all families to live peacefully to enable their children to emulate them as they grow in a peaceful environment,” he said.
He decried the declining collective African traditional care of children and attributed it to the ever changing lifestyles that embrace individualism.
This was echoed by one Bosire, a retired teacher, who appealed to policy makers to reinforce the teaching of vernacular languages and African way of life in school as a timeless monument of knowledge.
“As we transition to the CBC from 8-4-4, we need to create an enriching world of education for our children,” he added.
By Enock Okong’o
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