As Kenya prepares for the August 9 general election, it is imperative that the country's children are not left behind in the political process. According to the 2019 national census, children under the age of 18 make up nearly half of the population, with 39% of the 47.6 million Kenyans being minors.
Despite being a signatory to key international legal instruments on child rights, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC, 1990), Kenya's children are often excluded from discussions about the country's future.
Article 12 of the UNCRC provides for the right of children to participate in all matters that affect their lives, depending on their evolving capabilities. This right is also enshrined in national laws and policies, including the Constitution and the Children Act.
Ignoring Child Participation Structures ¶
It is worrying that key political players continue to largely ignore the existing structures of child participation, such as the national children's parliament, child rights clubs in schools, and county and national forums. This means that the outcomes of the elections will exclude Kenya's critical children's mass, discriminate against their views, and not consider their best interests.
The government, political parties, individual political aspirants, and other constitutional bodies mandated to oversee the political processes need to utilise existing ways of engaging children and develop new ones to shape the country's political agenda.
Child-focused civil society organisations are ready to complement these efforts by mobilising children, educating them on their rights to participation in socioeconomic and political processes, and ensuring the application of good practices in effective and meaningful child participation.
As Mr. Mailu, the director of national programs and quality at SOS Children's Villages Kenya, aptly puts it,
