More than 2,000 cases of child neglect have been reported in Baringo County between July 2024 and June 2025, placing the county third nationally in reported instances of child abandonment. At the heart of this crisis are children with disabilities, hidden, abandoned, and left without proper care or protection.
Principal Secretary for Children Services, Caren Agengo, sounded the alarm during a recent visit to Kabarnet, where she condemned the neglect and stigma faced by disabled children.
“The numbers are alarming,” Agengo said. “Children with disabilities bear the worst of it, locked behind doors, hidden from society, and forgotten even by their own families. This must end.”
The epicentre of the crisis is the Kabarnet School for the Deafblind, the only institution of its kind in East and Central Africa. Once a beacon of hope, it now struggles for survival after the government slashed its annual capitation from Ksh.4.1 million to a meagre Ksh.400,000.
The school cares for 81 severely disabled children but is reeling under salary arrears dating back to 2017, according to principal Eunice Chesang.
“Our teachers and caregivers haven’t been paid in years, yet they continue to serve with dedication,” she said. “Some parents abandon their children here and switch off their phones during holidays. Others lock their children indoors and disappear.”
School board chairman Vincent Chelal termed the funding cut a betrayal:
“Reducing capitation from Ksh.4.2 million to Ksh.400,000 is unacceptable. How do we provide food, care, and education for these children with such a budget? We urge the Ministry of Education to intervene immediately.”
The problem is compounded by cultural stigma, poverty, and a lack of support systems. In many rural areas of Baringo, disability is still viewed as a curse, prompting families to hide affected children out of shame or fear of social rejection.
Cabinet Secretary for Gender Ann Cheptumo emphasized the state’s constitutional responsibility:
“Every child has the right to care, education, and protection. The situation in Baringo reveals deeper systemic failures. We must all act, government, community, and citizens alike.”
Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi echoed the call to action, pledging to work with national institutions to improve conditions and promote public awareness.
“We cannot let our children suffer in silence. No child should be hidden or abandoned because of a disability,” he said.
As Baringo faces this humanitarian crisis, advocates are urging swift and coordinated efforts to fund institutions, end stigma, and ensure that every child, regardless of ability, is treated with dignity and care.
Written By Rodney Mbua
