Chief Justice Martha Koome has reiterated the Judiciary’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of children, emphasising that the country’s legal and institutional frameworks place a firm responsibility on justice actors to protect minors who encounter the justice system.
Speaking during the Chief Justice’s Dialogue with Children—an annual engagement drawing participants from borstal institutions, remand homes, rehabilitation schools, reception centres, probation hostels and children’s homes—Koome said the Judiciary remains fully committed to implementing the Children Act 2022, terming it a transformative law that reshapes how the justice system treats children.
Koome announced plans to establish dedicated Children’s Courts staffed with specialists trained in child psychology and child-sensitive procedures.
“We will continue strengthening the Office of the Deputy Registrar of the Children’s Court and ensuring that children’s cases are heard and concluded within the legally mandated period of six months,” she said.
She urged the National Police Service to operationalise Children Protection Units and the Children Police Unit, stressing that law enforcement officers must handle minors in ways that prioritise safety, emotional well-being and dignity.
She further called for an expansion of diversion programmes that steer children away from formal justice processes and toward restorative and rehabilitative alternatives.
“As justice actors, we must prioritise diversion programmes that redirect children away from the formal justice system,” she said.
This year’s event—held to mark World Children’s Day and the Child Justice Service Month under the theme My Day, My Rights—focused on the need to reduce unnecessary institutionalisation of children.
Koome said placement in institutions should be a measure of last resort and only for the shortest period possible.
“Children in institutions are not offenders to be punished but young people in need of guidance, protection, and a second chance,” she said.
The CJ raised concerns about gaps in the welfare of children in institutional care, noting persistent challenges in access to education, healthcare, psychosocial support and safe recreational spaces.
“Every child, irrespective of their circumstances, is entitled to free and compulsory basic education,” she said, insisting this right cannot be withdrawn due to interaction with the justice system.
Koome highlighted the need to strengthen family and community-based rehabilitation, calling for upgrades to children’s facilities to ensure decent, child-friendly living conditions.
She underscored the importance of mentorship, counselling, mediation and psychosocial support in helping children reintegrate into society successfully.
The CJ also encouraged courts to activate Children Court User Committees to improve coordination among police, probation officers, children’s officers, civil society groups and community stakeholders.
She further urged the Prisons Department to develop tailored rehabilitation programmes for older adolescents involved in gangs or violent behaviour, saying punitive environments only deepen trauma.
Koome reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to restorative justice models designed to heal, empower and reintegrate children.
