More than half of all children in Kenya are violated – new report shows

A new report has revealed that Violence Against Children (VAC) is still quite high with more than half of all children in Kenya being violated.

The report dubbed Kenya’s Journey Towards Protecting Children: A Decade of Change (2010-2019) showed that 56 percent of minors in the country are being violated even as the government unveils another round of campaigns to drive the vice down.

“Findings of the first survey were dire. It shocked the country being the first time we were doing the population survey,” Lina Digolo, the Principal Investigator of the study said.

While making the revelation, Digolo noted that the government and partners’ efforts saw VAC decline by 24 per cent in a period of 10 years and called on the government to take action arguing that the percentage quoted was a wake-up call.

“Well, it was a big reduction based on that data, but not good still if your first study shows that half of your children are undergoing violence. It’s certainly not good at all,” she asserted.

Similarly, Evidence and Beyond, an organisation that was at the front of the study noted that the report was crucial to help bring the rate of violence against children to zero.

“Not only to understand the data but to know what will work in order to bring this violence to zero,” the organization’s Chief Executive Officer said.

This comes even as Kenya prepares to host the 2nd International Conference on Child Protection in Africa from November 22 to November 24.

Reacting to the figure quoted, the State has raised concern and admitted that having more than half of the country’s children violated requires urgent concerted efforts.

Kenya’s journey towards protecting children is a qualitative study from 2010 to 2019. The study delves into the transformations in Kenya’s VAC landscape.

Unveiled in Nairobi yesterday by Social Protection Principal Secretary (PS) Joseph Motari, the report scrutinizes the evolution of VAC policies, interventions, and implementation mechanisms to shed light on key factors contributing to the decline in VAC prevalence.

“Today, in a momentous event in Nairobi, I unveiled the findings of a comprehensive study on Violence Against Children (VAC) in Kenya from 2010 to 2019,” PS Motari said noting that the report outlines a clear picture of its title.

The event was attended by key figures in child advocacy, including President Kenya Children Assembly Samuel Smith, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF Representative Yoko Kobayashi.

The study, led by diverse stakeholders such as USAID, LVCT Health, and Equity Bank, among others, showcased a remarkable decrease in child violence.

“The first survey in 2010 served as a catalyst for change, prompting the National Response Plan for Ending VAC in Kenya 2019. The subsequent 2019 survey, a testament to the government’s commitment, demonstrated a noteworthy decline in child violence, attributing success to strategic interventions,” Motari added.

According to the PS, the implementation of the Children Act 2022 and effective inter-sectoral collaboration emerged as cornerstones of this progress.

Some of its key highlights show significant progress in updating legislation and policies, however, challenges persisted in enforcement due to funding limitations. The study also showed improved quality of VAC services through human resource capacity building and refined data collection as well as reporting systems.

“Challenges included insufficient staff to meet the demand for child protection services across all sectors,” Digolo said.

The study also showed meaningful child participation in government initiatives, such as child participation guidelines and rights clubs which aim to empower children in decision-making.

“There is a call for ensuring substantive representation of all children, especially those affected by VAC, in participation frameworks,” she highlighted.

At some point, the study shows that there will be an expansion of VAC prevention services and Digolo says that a shift from predominantly supporting response services to preventive initiatives was adopted.

“Strategies such as improved school enrolment, household economic resilience, and enhanced VAC response services contributed to the reduction,” she said.

Some of the implications of the findings include the need to enhance financial investments, with the study emphasising the need for increased domestic funding and private-sector collaboration for comprehensive VAC programs.

“Integration with existing initiatives for HIV, SRHR, parenting, education, and Violence Against Women for a holistic approach,” the report added.

This also means that there is a need for enforcing VAC Laws and policies, with the study calling for rigorous enforcement, integration into local frameworks, and revision of obsolete guidelines.

The study calls for specialized VAC training for service providers across sectors on the legal and policy frameworks among others.

Conclusively, Digolo said that the key highlights and recommendations underscore the need for sustained financial commitment, stringent law enforcement, capacity building, genuine child participation, evidence-based interventions, and programs for adolescent girls, and efficient data collection systems in the ongoing response against Violence Against Children in Kenya.

While reflecting on the findings, Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS), Florence Bore noted that the government’s efforts to protect children will continue to gain more traction through the investments dedicated to bolster the social service workforce.

Further, she said that these efforts will include scaling up child-inclusive social protection services; facilitating accessible child-friendly justice systems, engagement of children and enhancing mechanisms for online child protection.

She lauded partners who continue to support the government’s priorities, especially those who believe in the rights and well-being of children.

“As a Ministry, we will continue to advocate and lobby for more resources from the Government and engage in private-public partnerships in order to scale up the various interventions,” she said.

She highlighted that the government’s commitment to raise awareness and advocate for child rights has sparked a cultural shift, for instance, through the “Spot It, Stop It” campaign to end violence against children among others in different sectors.

This, she said, has been witnessed by children being more confident in reporting abuse, highlighting the positive impact of collective advocacy.

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