Child Rights Groups Urge Government to Prioritize Children in FY2025/2026 Budget
The Mt Kenya Times 
Attendees are representatives from several non-governmental organizations and the media in picture
By: Cynthia Masibo
Leading child rights organizations, convened at a hotel in Nairobi to address the media on the FY2025/2026 National Budget, calling for urgent reforms and increased allocations to safeguard the rights and welfare of Kenya’s children.
One of the central issues raised was the apparent exclusion of learners, leaving a significant number of children without support for basic education. “Kenya’s 2025/2026 budget, long expected to facilitate inclusive quality education, has instead become an inhibitor to access for millions of children and youth,” the organizations stated, highlighting the risk of increased dropouts and diminished educational outcomes.
The press conference, attended by representatives from several non-governmental organizations, focused on the critical gaps in the proposed budget, particularly around child protection, education, and participation. The organizations presented a unified front, urging the government to adopt child-sensitive budgeting and ensure that resources are allocated in a manner that directly addresses the needs of children across the country.
The National Council for Children’s Services, tasked with overseeing child welfare, was another focal point. With only KSh 81 million allocated, the council is unable to fulfill its 24 mandates under the Children Act. The coalition recommended an increase of KSh 70 million to expand county offices and an additional KSh 4.5 billion to the Directorate of Children’s Services to support field operations, care reform, violence prevention, and child participation initiatives.
Statistics presented were sobering: 46.7% of children in Kenya experience some form of violence before age 18, with 23% of girls and 6.4% of boys subjected to sexual violence. The groups called for KSh 600 million to address violence prevention and response, KSh 500 million for child participation, and KSh 400 million for positive parenting programs.
In a move to center children’s perspectives, Mtoto News gathered and presented children’s views on the budget. The children emphasized the need for access to food, clean water, mental health support, improved school infrastructure, and opportunities for talent development. They also called for the simplification of budget documents and greater inclusion in decision-making processes.
“Children are not asking for charity; they are demanding their rights as enshrined in the Constitution and international treaties,” said a representative, referencing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Kenya’s Children Act 2022, which guarantee child participation in public matters.
As Parliament prepares to finalize the budget, the message from child rights advocates is clear: the true measure of a society lies in how it treats its youngest members. “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children,” the organizations concluded, quoting Nelson Mandela.
The call now rests with lawmakers and the executive to act decisively, ensuring that every child in Kenya has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
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