The State Department for Children Services is committed to strengthening systems that protect and empower children from their early years.
Children Welfare Services Principal Secretary, Carren Achieng Ageng’o, said children across the country continue to face violence in their homes, schools, and within the communities.
The PS noted that many children are neglected, go missing or suffer in silence due to weak protection systems and the absence of responsive care.
Ageng’o was giving the keynote address when she opened the 6th National Early Childhood Stakeholders’ Conference at a Garissa hotel that brought together different stakeholders, partners and participants from different counties.
She said that existing data shows that only 67 per cent of children aged between 3 to 5 in Kenya are enrolled in Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) programmes leaving out over one-third without access to structured early learning.
“The data further reveals that a significant number of children in rural and informal settlements still face high rates of neglect, malnutrition, and harmful traditional practices, which irreversibly affect their growth and development,” PS Ageng’o added.
According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Kenya has over 4.1 million children aged under five. Many of these children still lack access to quality care, nutrition, or stimulation.
The Violence Against Children Survey (2019) also revealed that 1 in 2 children in Kenya experience physical violence before the age of 18. Nearly 1 in 5 girls face sexual violence during childhood, often perpetrated by familiar adults in homes and schools. These cases are widespread, often hidden, and unreported.
PS Ageng’o said the existing data compels all stakeholders to act with greater urgency, reiterating the need to move beyond addressing individual cases and focus on systemic reforms.
“Strengthening childcare is not merely about delivering services; it’s about creating an ecosystem where children are seen, protected, and supported to thrive,” Ageng’o said.
Garissa Governor Nathif Jama said that ECDE in ASAL counties has come a long way, something he attributed to devolution.
“As ASAL counties, we are coming up in matters ECDE. We have seen a paradigm shift in this very important sector thanks to devolution,” Nathif said.
The governor said that when he took office during his first term in 2013 many learners used to study under trees and in structures with worn-out roofs.
This, he noted, has changed as his administration has invested in new structures across the county.
Nathif said child protection and early childhood development cannot operate in silos saying that a child’s safety and well-being depend on strong, coordinated systems from family and health services to community structures and national platforms.
The governor said fragmented systems delay responses and leave many children, especially those aged 0-3, those with disabilities, invisible in data.
“This year’s theme reminds us that real, lasting development begins in early childhood. If we want resilient systems and sustainable growth, especially in ASAL regions, we must invest early and intentionally,” Gov. Jama said.
The theme of the three-day conference is “Promoting Transformative Systemic Change in a Child’s Ecosystem”. It brings together ECD practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and leaders to discuss key issues affecting early childhood development in Kenya.
The conference aims to provide a platform for evidence-based dialogue, policy innovation, and strategic partnerships to improve the quality and accessibility of early childhood services across the country.
By Jacob Songok
