Kenyans who raised money to move a homeless couple off the streets of Githurai 44 are expressing disappointment after reports that the two have gone back to sleeping rough, only weeks after getting a rented house.
The couple, identified as Denis and Nancy, came to public attention after their story went viral on the page of social media influencer Derick Mbugua.
Well-wishers responded by buying them clothes and household items, renting them a house and paying a year's rent in advance. A rent receipt shared online showed that the accommodation had been settled.
According to a report by Kenyans Living It, the new beginning took a turn about a month later. The person who had supported the couple reportedly found the house emptied, after the two allegedly sold the items they had been given.
They then told well-wishers they had decided to return to the streets, even though a roof was already guaranteed for the next 12 months. The decision reportedly left their benefactor heartbroken.
The report does not explain why the belongings were sold or whether the couple faced any problems while living in the house.
The development has reopened the debate on how best to help people living on the streets. A 2024 study in the Child and Family Social Work journal, on the reintegration of street-connected children in Kenya, found that lasting results depend on family-based support tailored to individual circumstances and on meeting basic needs, not on short-term help alone. It focused on children rather than adults, so it offers only context here.
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