Chief Justice Martha Koome has underscored the Judiciary’s dedication to safeguarding children’s rights to align with the UN convention on the rights of the child, Kenya’s constitution, and the Children Act 2022.
Speaking during CRC@35 exhibition at the UN headquarters in Nairobi, Koome highlighted strides in child justice and the Judiciary’s efforts to close existing gaps. She urged legislators, the executive and development partners to boost funding and support for child justice initiatives.
Koome acknowledged the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) for advancing children’s rights through structures like the Court User Committees (CUCs), noting that the establishment of Children CUCs and operationalization of child-friendly courts in Millimani, Nakuru, Tononoka and Thika are key milestones.
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The CJ revealed that last year, the Judiciary handled 16,453 chidren’s cases, including 1,875 involving children in conflict with the law. These numbers, she said, underscore the urgency for stakeholder collaboration to address children’s challenges.
Koome also highlighted the Judiciary’s adoption of alternative dispute resolution methods, such as plea bargaining and family group conferencing, focussing on rehabilitation. Training judicial officers on child sensitive procedures remains a priority.
The CJ commended UNICEF’s support for NCAJ initiatives and announced the gazettement of rules on guardianship and foster care to operationalize the Children Act ,with more rules expected by 2025.
By Jane Riana
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