There is a need to seek and increase funding for the Children Justice System in the country to enable stakeholders to mitigate challenges affecting children and support childcare and welfare programmes, the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary (CRJ) Winfridah Mokaya has said.
Speaking during the launch of the National Council on Administration of Justice (NCAJ) National Strategy on Justice for Children (2023-2028) in Nairobi, Mokaya reiterated that the recognition of the need for increased budgetary allocation for children in the justice system is key in the implementation of the strategy.
“We understand that without adequate financial resources, our ambitions for child-friendly facilities, trained justice actors, and enhanced capacity to respond to children’s needs will remain unfulfilled,” she observed.
The CRJ noted that the launch of the National Strategy is not just a milestone but a beacon of hope and a testament to the justice sector’s unwavering commitment for a brighter future for every child.
“The strategy we launch today is our promise, our pledge, to fundamentally transform how our society and our justice system interact with and protect our children. As Nelson Mandela powerfully stated, ‘There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.’ Let us reveal the soul of Kenya as one that fiercely protects and cherishes its youth,” implored Mokaya.
She insisted that the strategy was justified by the pressing need to address the systemic and multifaceted issues that children face and that the injustices experienced by children, such as abuse, neglect, and exploitation, are not just individual tragedies but societal failures that hinder the nation’s progress.
Further, the CRJ assured that the NCAJ will spearhead the coordination efforts, bringing together stakeholders from across sectors to promote, protect, and improve the administration of justice for children in both formal and informal settings.
“Our vision extends far beyond the justice system. We aim to empower all stakeholders—including children themselves, communities, civil society organisations, and development partners—to contribute to a child-friendly justice sector. This partnership is not just instrumental; it is essential. Together, we can enhance our response to violence against children, promote their participation and empowerment, and strengthen collaboration among all involved parties,” stated CRJ Mokaya.
Making her remarks at the event was the Chairperson of the NCAJ Standing Committee on Justice for Children, Justice Teresia Matheka, who mentioned that the strategy represents NCAJ’s commitment to enhancing the administration and access to justice for children in Kenya and that it would require robust coordination and resources from both the government and development partners.
“Together, we can build a justice system that truly serves and protects our children,” expressed Justice Matheka.
The objectives of the strategy are to ensure a coordinated, efficient, effective, and consultative approach in the administration of justice for children in Kenya, to empower stakeholders to prevent violence against children, to ensure timely response and child participation towards a child-friendly justice system that is well resourced, to strengthen the coordination by NCAJ and relevant stakeholders to promote, protect, and improve access to justice for children in the formal and informal sector, and to establish a monitoring, evaluation, learning, and budgeting framework for the child justice system.
By Michael Omondi
