Africa-Press – Kenya. Chief Justice Martha Koome has reaffirmed the Judiciary’s steadfast commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every child in Kenya, grounded in the Constitution, the Children Act 2022, and the country’s international obligations.
Speaking during the CJ’s Dialogue with Children, which included participants from borstal institutions, remand homes, rehabilitation schools, reception centres, probation hostels, and children’s homes, Koome championed a decisive shift from institutional care to family- and community-based support systems.
Describing the Children Act 2022 as a transformative framework, the Chief Justice said the Judiciary is fully committed to implementing its provisions, including establishing dedicated Children’s Courts staffed with trained personnel skilled in child psychology and sensitive procedures.
“As we celebrate World Children’s Day, I want to reaffirm the Judiciary’s and the NCAJ’s commitment to ending unnecessary institutionalisation and ensuring that every child who interacts with the justice system is treated with dignity, compassion, and fairness,” she said, adding that children in institutions are not offenders to be punished but young people in need of guidance, protection, and a second chance.
She emphasised that before any child is placed in institutional care, all alternative family and community-based options must be thoroughly explored.
Even when institutional placement is unavoidable, she stressed, children must be treated in ways that preserve their dignity, nurture their potential, and honour society’s obligation to protect them.
The CJ further stated that the Judiciary will continue strengthening the Office of the Deputy Registrar of the Children’s Court and underscored that children’s cases must be heard and concluded within the mandated six-month period.
Koome noted that many children in institutional care continue to face gaps in education, healthcare, psychosocial support, nutrition, and access to safe recreational spaces.
She insisted that for these institutions to fulfil their rehabilitative purpose, they must be equipped to meet the developmental, educational, and emotional needs of children.
She urged the National Police Service to fully operationalise the Child Protection Units and the Children Police Unit, stressing that children must be handled in ways that prioritise their protection, emotional safety, and overall well-being.
“We must strengthen programmes that protect children’s mental health, build their confidence, and equip them with life skills for meaningful reintegration,” she said.
“Mentorship, counselling, mediation, and psychosocial care all contribute to creating a supportive ecosystem that allows children to grow and thrive.”
The Chief Justice said a truly rehabilitative environment must be grounded in safety, learning, and psychosocial well-being, adding that strengthening family- and community-based rehabilitation is essential.
She called for upgrading children’s institutions to ensure dignified, child-friendly living environments and highlighted the importance of programmes that support mental health, build confidence, and equip children with life skills for reintegration.
Koome also encouraged courts to activate Children Court User Committees to ensure coordinated support for children’s matters and urged the Prisons Department to develop tailored rehabilitation programmes for older adolescents, noting that young people require structured, supportive interventions rather than punitive environments to redirect their lives.
The event was held to commemorate World Children’s Day and the Annual Child Justice Service Month 2025, themed: My Day, My Rights.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
