MPs raise alarm over poor conditions at Malindi children’s remand home

Serious gaps in child protection services have emerged in Kilifi County after lawmakers raised concerns over poor living conditions at a children’s remand facility in Malindi and operational challenges at the Kilifi Children’s Court.

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Social Protection, led by Vice Chairperson Hillary Kosgei, flagged weaknesses in infrastructure, staffing, and funding after an inspection tour that exposed how children in contact with the justice system are being handled.

At the Kilifi Children’s Court on Thursday, the committee was briefed by the presiding judge on a range of difficulties affecting service delivery. These included the absence of child-friendly courtrooms, shortage of children’s officers to manage cases, and limited financial support for both court processes and victims.

“Speaking to the day’s presiding judge, the Committee heard that the Kilifi Children’s court faces a myriad of challenges, including the need for more child-friendly court rooms, additional children’s officers to handle cases, and more finances to facilitate cases and victims,”

Lawmakers were also informed that the Judiciary has no budget to provide meals for children attending court sessions, prompting calls for legal and policy changes to address the gap.

Further concern was raised over the absence of safe shelters for survivors of Gender-Based Violence after rescue, leaving victims exposed during recovery and legal follow-up.

The situation appeared more worrying at the Children’s Remand Home in Malindi, where MPs reported that children were living in poor conditions that fell below expected care standards.

They also noted that minors held at the facility do not access formal education while their cases are ongoing, despite some proceedings taking a long time before conclusion in court.

“The courts are limiting the children’s rights to formal education by keeping their cases longer than reasonable,” said Owen Baya, MP for Kilifi North.

“We must defend the children’s rights to education, whether they are criminals or not. As long as they haven’t been convicted and sent to jail, they are entitled to formal education.”

During a courtesy call at the Office of the Kilifi County Commissioner, the committee indicated that child protection programmes are set to receive higher budget allocations in the 2026/2027 financial year.

Kosgei noted that child and maternal welfare should remain central in national development priorities.

“People forget that the safety of our children and mothers is a fundamental part of development,” he said.

He added: “It may be a drop in the ocean, but it’s a positive step in the right direction and it can only get better.”

The MPs also engaged officials from the Women Enterprise Fund, State Department for Children’s Services, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, National Gender and Equality Commission, and community organisations including Friends for Justice.

Key issues raised during the discussions included rising cases of Gender-Based Violence, poverty, child neglect, drug and substance abuse, and violence against elderly persons.

James K’Oyoo, MP for Muhoroni, called for stronger communication systems to improve awareness and coordination in handling social welfare cases.

“There’s need to facilitate proper communication channels on handling these matters – we must restructure the flow of information for more awareness among communities,” he said.