‘I can’t take it anymore’: Man caring for sexually abused boys hopeless without govt support
A distressed man. Boys who escaped sexual abuse now starving as Kenya's shelter crisis reaches breaking point.
What you need to know:
- Nearly two years ago, police rescued three boys from sexual abuse and placed them in a Kajiado shelter, but the government never provided promised funding.
- The shelter founder has struggled alone to support them.
- Now he faces the heart-breaking decision of abandoning the boys, who cannot return to their abusive families.
Nearly two years ago, police in Nairobi rescued three boys from sexual abuse and placed them in a safe house in Ngong, Kajiado County. Their cases are still active in court.
While the intervention ensured their immediate safety, the government failed to follow through with the financial support necessary to sustain their care at the Halfway House, a shelter for boys who have exited prison, faced various forms of violence, including sexual violence and neglect.
James Ouma, the founder of the shelter, has carried the burden of supporting the boys almost single-handedly. With help from well-wishers and proceeds from rearing and selling chickens, he managed for a while, but that support has slowly dwindled. Recently, all the chickens died, cutting off his last source of income.
Now, he faces the heart-breaking decision of whether to give up on the boys he once held close to his heart.
“I’m so heartbroken,” James says, tears rolling down his cheeks.
“There was a time they wanted to leave because life had become unbearably hard. But the court wouldn’t allow it since their families are extremely unstable, which puts them at risk of repeated abuse. I’m just down and out, wondering what to do.”
He had enrolled them in school, but they had to drop out due to lack of funds.
“I’m at the edge of giving up,” he says quietly. “But these boys have no homes to return to. Where will they go? Will the government come to their rescue?”
The police placed the boys at the shelter, and the court maintains they must remain there, but no government support has followed. There’s no help to feed them, pay rent, or return them to school.
When asked about this, Michael Kariuki, the acting director for Gender-Based Violence Mitigation at the State Department for Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action, admitted that the situation reflects a national crisis in support for shelters.
“Do we even have government-supported shelters for women or girls? No,” Kariuki stated.
“What we are developing is just a framework on how to build and manage shelters for women, with an attitude that boys will also be accommodated within the same facilities,” he added.
He believes the conversation must shift. “So, the question should be, as we are developing the shelters for women, can we also factor in the shelters for boys and men?”
Lifesong Kenya Founder James Ouma during an interview in Ngong' on April 9, 2024.
Currently, Kenya has 84 verified shelters, all run by civil society organisations, he said.
According to the State Department’s Beijing+30 report, released last year, non-governmental organisations, operate 36 shelters in 13 counties, including Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Kwale, Samburu, Kajiado, Murang’a, Laikipia, Kiambu, Nyeri, Meru, Machakos, and Makueni.
Separately, the National Government Affirmative Action Fund’s Strategic Plan (2023/24–2027/28) notes the establishment of rescue and counselling centres through Woman Representatives' offices in counties such as Bungoma, Vihiga, West Pokot, Meru, Kisii, Migori, Kisumu, Nairobi, and Kiambu. However, these do not cover daily shelter operations or long-term care.
Even the few strides made face serious setbacks. During recent anti-government protests, the Kisii GBV centre, launched in 2022 but not yet operational, was destroyed, rolling back efforts to increase survivor services.
Back at Halfway House, James is desperate.
“The boys are hungry,” he says. “Our chickens started dying one by one from hunger. I am scared. I feel I can’t take it anymore.”
