Kajiado County has launched a Children’s Assembly dubbed, Bunge la Watoto to advocate for children’s rights and help in their welfare policy formulation.
The Children’s Assembly will consist of children drawn from each location across the sub-counties in Kajiado County and special interest participants, including children living with disability.
The Kajiado North sub-county children’s officer Beverlyne Kiprotich, has said the Children’s Assembly will provide youngsters with a platform to represent themselves and advocate for their rights.
“Six leaders have been elected from Kajiado North sub-county to represent children’s issues at the Kajiado Children’s Assembly. The Children’s Assembly will allow children to actively participate in issues affecting them,” said Kiprotich.
The Peace Ambassadors for Children in Kenya coordinator Grace Kapaiko, has said the selection of representative for the children’s assembly has been conducted through a credible voting process.
“Kajiado County has not had a children’s assembly since the year 2016.The children elected as representatives for the Children’s Assembly through fair elections will raise issues concerning children at the Kajiado Children’s Assembly,” said Kapaiko.
According to Lydia Githuka, a social worker from Beacon of Hope which is part of The Child Protection Network in Ongata Rongai, the elected leaders will be the voice of children at the Child Protection Network.
“There has been a need for a children’s voice at the Child Protection Network because it is children who experience what we are fighting against. We are happy to have representatives to voice and represent children’s issues in schools and in churches because now we have children in our network,” said Githuka.
Representatives for the Kajiado Children’s Assembly will be elected from representatives at the five sub-county levels of Kajiado North, Kajiado West, Kajiado East, Kajiado Central and Kajiado South.
By Amy Moyi
