Parents urged to take responsibility as authorities set to crack down on child loitering in Taita Taveta

Authorities in Taveta Constituency, Taita Taveta County have announced a firm crackdown on children found loitering in streets, bars and entertainment spots, as leaders linked indiscipline and poor parental responsibility to declining education outcomes in the area.

The warning was issued on Tuesday during the launch of the Taveta Elimu Bora Program, an education initiative that has injected Ksh 26Million into free secondary education for day schools, with those in boarding schools expected to pay Ksh 5,000 per term.

While the event celebrated investment in education, speakers repeatedly cautioned that funding alone would not fix poor performance without discipline at home and in the community.

Taveta Deputy County Commissioner Chaka Nyamawi said security agencies had been instructed to arrest any child found loitering aimlessly at night or present in clubs, bars and other entertainment places.

He added that such children would be taken to police stations, with parents summoned to explain how their children ended up in such environments.

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“There will be no child who will be found loitering in entertainment places or clubs. Any child found will be caught and taken to the police station and parents questioned on how the child got out until they were caught,” Nyamawi said, noting that the measure was aimed at restoring discipline and safeguarding children.

Nyamawi expressed concern over cases where minors, including the girl child, are found in bars late at night, saying such situations reflected failure of parental responsibility.

“Parents, it is so shameful to find your child, especially a girl child, found in a bar at night half naked. It is so painful. Where are you as a parent?” he asked.

Given Taveta’s proximity to the Kenya–Tanzania border, the Deputy County Commissioner said officers at border points had been instructed not to allow any child to cross into Tanzania for alcohol or entertainment. He further warned that any bar found hosting a child would be closed.

The tough stance comes amid worrying education statistics. Nyamawi revealed that in the 2025 KCSE examinations, more than 1,000 students from Taveta Sub- County scored between D- and E grades. He urged parents to take such learners to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to equip them with skills for self-reliance, warning that lack of skills could push idle youth into crime.

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He also attributed poor performance in some schools to hunger, noting that government food supplies this year had been fully delivered to schools.

“All the food that we have received from the government this year, we have taken to school. The remaining work is for you as a parent to ensure that your child has gone to school,” he said.

Area MP John Bwire supported the call for parental responsibility, warning parents against remaining silent in cases of early pregnancy. He said perpetrators must be reported and held accountable, adding that parents who conceal such cases would also face consequences.

Bwire also reiterated that children caught crossing the border for entertainment would be arrested together with their parents and taken to court.

Women Representative Lydia Haika echoed the discipline message, telling parents that ensuring children are in school and not in discos or other risky environments was their responsibility.

She urged families to support ongoing education reforms so that gains made through public investment are not undermined by indiscipline.

Leaders present emphasized that Taveta’s education revival requires a joint effort between government, schools and parents.

“We blame ourselves, starting with me and the leaders, including parents. That is now a thing of the past and we have started a new journey,” Nyamawi said, calling for unity in order to restore schools to their former performance levels.

By Michael Oduor