The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Social Protection has raised concerns over child welfare services in Kilifi County following an inspection of the Kilifi Children’s Court and the Children’s Remand Home in Malindi.

Chaired by Vice Chairperson Hillary Kosgei, the MPs assessed service delivery and infrastructure gaps affecting children in conflict with the law and vulnerable minors requiring protection services.

At the Kilifi Children’s Court, the committee was briefed by the presiding judge on operational challenges affecting service delivery. These included inadequate child-friendly courtrooms, insufficient children’s officers to handle cases, and limited financial resources to support court processes and victims.

“Speaking to the day’s presiding judge, the Committee heard that the Kilifi Children’s court faces a myriad of challenges, including the need for more child-friendly court rooms, additional children’s officers to handle cases, and more finances to facilitate cases and victims,” read the post in part.

The Judiciary also noted that there is no budget allocation for meals for children during court proceedings, prompting calls for legislative review to address the gap.

Lawmakers further raised concern over the lack of safe spaces for survivors of Gender-Based Violence after rescue, saying this leaves victims vulnerable during recovery and legal processes.

Concerns at children’s remand home

An inspection of the Children’s Remand Home in Malindi revealed poor living conditions for children held at the facility. MPs said the situation raised concerns about overall standards of care and rehabilitation.

Lawmakers also noted that children held in remand do not access formal education during their stay, despite many cases taking long to conclude in court.

“The courts are limiting the children’s rights to formal education by keeping their cases longer than reasonable,” said Owen Baya, MP for Kilifi North.

“We must defend the children’s rights to education, whether they are criminals or not. As long as they haven’t been convicted and sent to jail, they are entitled to formal education.”

Budget and stakeholder engagement

During a courtesy call at the Office of the Kilifi County Commissioner, the MPs indicated that child protection programmes are set to receive increased funding in the 2026/2027 budget cycle.

Kosgei said child and maternal welfare remains a key development priority. “People forget that the safety of our children and mothers is a fundamental part of development,” he said.

He added: “It may be a drop in the ocean, but it’s a positive step in the right direction and it can only get better.”

The committee engaged stakeholders, including the Women Enterprise Fund, State Department for Children’s Services, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, the National Gender and Equality Commission, and community organisations such as Friends for Justice.

Key issues raised included gender-based violence, poverty, child neglect, drug and substance abuse, and the killing of elderly persons. James K’Oyoo, MP for Muhoroni, called for improved communication systems.

“There’s need to facilitate proper communication channels on handling these matters – we must restructure the flow of information for more awareness among communities,” he said.