Nairobi — Chief Justice Martha Koome has urged government stakeholders and development partners to increase funding for Kenya's justice systems to enhance the country's capacity to prioritize and uphold children's rights.

Speaking during the 35th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) for the 2024 World Children's Day, Koome emphasized the need for collective efforts from the legislature, executive, and development partners to promote and protect children's rights.

"As Chief Justice of Kenya and Chairperson of NCAJ, I commit to working towards promoting, protecting, and fulfilling the rights of children as mandated by the CRC, the Constitution, and the Children Act, 2022," she said.

She also called for the speedy implementation of the Children Act, 2022, to strengthen Children Court User Committees and advance trauma-informed, child-centered courts for universal access to justice.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 43% of Kenya's population--23.6 million of its 55.3 million people as of 2023--are children. However, a 2021 study by UNICEF and the World Bank revealed that nearly half of Kenyan youth aged 18-24 experienced some form of violence--physical, sexual, or emotional--during childhood, often leading to long-term health and emotional consequences.

Globally, violence in schools alone leads to lifetime earnings losses estimated at $11 trillion.

UNICEF Kenya Representative Shaheen Nilofer highlighted Kenya's commitment to the CRC, which the country ratified in 1990.

"Kenya was one of the first countries in Africa to ratify the CRC, thus committing to fulfilling the rights of every child through its laws, policies, and practices," she said.

Koome reiterated that increased funding and collective efforts are vital to aligning Kenya's justice systems with constitutional mandates and international agreements such as the CRC.