Africa-Press – Kenya. The success of a new regional framework on child protection will depend on how much governments commit in financing, regional child welfare experts have said.
Speaking in Nairobi during the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) workshop on child protection, the Children’s Services secretary Shem Nyakutu, stressed that although Kenya and other IGAD member states have budget allocations for children, the funding remains inadequate compared to the scale of challenges.
“The government of Kenya has given us a budget for children, and our regional partners also contribute. However, mobilising sufficient resources remains a major challenge,” Nyakutu said.
He cited cases where government funds have been used to rescue trafficked citizens abroad, underscoring the high costs involved in protecting vulnerable children.
Nyakutu urged county governments to align their budgets with the Children’s Act 2022, which requires counties to establish child protection centres and pass supporting policies.
“Counties must invest directly in child protection to complement national government and regional efforts,” he added.
The conference is looking to develop a regional framework aimed at protecting children from harmful practices, displacement, trafficking, and the growing impacts of conflict and climate change.
“Across this region, children face harmful practices such as FGM, child marriages, corporal punishment, and exploitation. We also continue to grapple with insecurity and trafficking. This framework is about ensuring that child protection cuts across the region and is implemented at both national and county levels,” Nyakutu said.
He noted that the Children’s Act 2022 mandates counties to establish child protection centres and adopt policies aligned with national laws.
He urged county assemblies to pass legislation that mirrors national efforts to ensure stronger grassroots protection.
On funding, Nyakutu confirmed that the Kenyan government has allocated resources to children’s services, with support also coming from development partners and the private sector.
“Even in cases of counter-trafficking, we have used government resources to rescue citizens trapped abroad. Child protection remains a top priority for the government,” he added.
Reproductive Health Expert at the IGAD Secretariat Dr. Harriet Nabukwasi said that it is time for child-related policies to be discussed at the highest policy levels for effective implementation.
“IGAD works to complement member states’ efforts by mobilising resources at the regional level and ensuring cross-border child protection issues are discussed at the highest policy forums,” she said.
Save the Children Kenya and Madagascar’s Head of Advocacy, Sandra Mosoga, warned that children in sub-Saharan Africa remain highly vulnerable to poverty, conflict, displacement, online exploitation, and climate change.
“We must move from rhetoric to action—allocating adequate budgets, strengthening enforcement systems, and ensuring children’s voices are at the centre of these processes,” she said.
She added that gaps in data and weak enforcement remain key barriers, urging governments to invest more in child-focused systems and ensure accountability.
The IGAD Child Protection Action Plan is expected to set regional benchmarks, strengthen collaboration among member states, and mobilise resources to address systemic threats facing children across East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
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