Kiambu County has joined the world in marking the World Children’s Day that promotes the welfare of children around the world.
The day also honors international unity and raises awareness of issues affecting children with the global appeal to guarantee children’s rights to health care education, and a safe, happy childhood.
Speaking to KNA, Jackline Dama Karani, Kiambu High Court Children’s Magistrate said the judiciary has designated the entire month of November as Children’s Services Month.
“This month we are giving priority to cases concerning children, whether it involves child offenders or victims,” she said, adding that all magistrates are dealing with the backlog cases to ensure that those that are registered in future do not delay.
Karani also emphasized on the new Children’s Act that ensures that every child is protected from any form of cruelty or abuse, whether mental, emotional, or physical.
“The new Children’s Act places the child at the center of case resolution, ensuring they are provided with a fair and safe platform to express their views regarding the case at hand,” she stated.
Karani further noted that all children’s cases are allocated a duration of six months for resolution, but added that those that involve traumatic experiences for the child, such as defilement, a shorter duration of three weeks to one month is recommended to allow the victim to access counseling and support services promptly.
She called upon all parents nationwide to act a humane manner and show clemency when dealing with children who have committed crimes emphasizing that children are the future generation and should be guided onto the right path rather than being harshly punished.
“The people of Kiambu should recognize that a child is a blessing from God. They must understand that a child is not born knowing how to steal or use drugs. As adults, we should ensure that we teach them good morals, encourage them to go to school, provide what we can, and accept their efforts and capabilities,” the magistrate noted
Karani also underscored and commended the government’s goal to transition from children’s homes to foster care, highlighting its advantages.
The government has been implementing the national foster care reforms which commenced in 2022 and is expected to last till 2032 where all children held in charitable care institutions commonly known as children homes will be placed under family and community set up
“Foster care provides children with a normal environment, including the presence of both parents, which promotes a stable and healthy upbringing, raising children to be of good morals and responsible, reliable citizens,” Karani said.
The Magistrate further explained that foster care is a system in which a minor is placed in a ward, group home, treatment center, or the private home of a state-certified caregiver, known as a “foster parent,” or with a family member approved by the state and aims to give the child a normal environment for upbringing.
Among other factors, the magistrate noted that the main reason children may qualify for placement under foster care include the incarceration or death of both parents, with no relatives available to care for the children.
Additionally, foster care may be considered if the environment is harmful, chaotic, and detrimental to the child’s well-being.
This year’s theme for Universal Children’s Day is “For Every Child, Every Right,” emphasizing the crucial need to ensure that every child has access to their fundamental rights and highlights how crucial it is to guarantee that every kid has access to their fundamental rights.
This World Children’s Day, the message from World Vision and UNICEF is “we must prioritize children now to secure a better future. By listening to children and acting on their needs, we can ensure that their rights are upheld and that they are empowered to become the leaders of tomorrow.”
The two organizations have called upon Governments, communities, and adults to recognize their responsibility to children saying that it is not enough to merely acknowledge their needs but should and must actively work to meet them.
“Children’s voices must be heard and acted upon, and their rights must be enshrined in every decision we make,” UNICEF said.
World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s Global Day of Action for children, marking the adoption of the convention on the rights of the child– an international agreement on childhood.
It has become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and has helped transform children’s lives around the world according the UNICEF 2023 report.
By John Kariba and Benson Kamau
