The government has reaffirmed its dedication to protecting children’s welfare both at home and in care institutions, with a renewed focus on creating a safe environment for every child.
Principal Secretary for the State Department of Children’s Services, Carren Ageng’o, spoke about the department’s priorities during an interview on Radio Generation on Tuesday.
Ageng’o said the department’s main responsibility is to ensure that every child in Kenya is safe, cared for, and given opportunities to grow in a supportive setting.
“When I look at the mandate of the department, one key area is protection of children,” she said. “Protection of children is to ensure that our children are well, the safety of children wherever they are, at home, in school, or in any other place.”
She highlighted that child protection starts at home but extends to children living outside their families.
“We do have children who do not live at home because they are not living with their families. So we have children now separated from their families, and they are also living in institutions which we call children’s institutions,” Ageng’o said.
“We must ensure safety of children in those institutions because we have other people who have the responsibility of taking care of them.”
PS Ageng’o further stressed the importance of upholding children’s rights as outlined in the Constitution and the Children’s Act, 2022. “In this nation, the law provides for various rights of children, so children have a voice,” she said.
“In this particular area of child participation, we look at children being given opportunity to voice their concerns to the government so that the government can provide and meet those rights.”
The PS noted that the department also provides support for vulnerable children, including those from poor backgrounds and orphans. “When I talk of vulnerable children, these are children living in families that may not be in a position to take care of them,” she said. “The government comes in to supplement and provide, for example, food and school needs.”
Teenage pregnancies remain a major concern, Ageng’o added, noting that about 15 percent of teenagers are affected.
“We work to reduce this rate and to educate the young ones so that they avoid getting pregnant at an early age. For those who already have children, we work on a program to take them back to school because we believe education is a right of the child,” she said.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 15% of adolescent women aged 15-19 have ever been pregnant, with 12% having given birth and 3% currently pregnant.
The adolescent birth rate for this age group was 73 per 1,000 women in 2022. Although there has been a slight national decline in new teenage pregnancies in recent years, significant regional disparities persist, with counties like Samburu having as high as 50% ever-pregnant, while Nyeri and Nyandarua have rates around 5%.
Poverty, lack of education, and limited knowledge of sexual and reproductive health are key factors contributing to teenage pregnancies. Cultural and societal influences, such as early marriages and inadequate parental involvement, further exacerbate the issue.
Additionally, limited access to family planning services and early sexual debut increase the risk, while sexual abuse has also been linked to teenage pregnancies, with studies showing that adolescents who experience abuse are more likely to become pregnant at an early age.
She also emphasized the role of stable family units in ensuring children’s wellbeing. “Family is very key when it comes to children’s issues,” Ageng’o said.
“When our family is stable, the children will live in a safe environment and will not be separated from their parents. We are promoting that to ensure we have a united family where children live.”
The State Department for Children’s Services was established on April 16, 2025, as part of government reorganization to strengthen the protection and welfare of children.
Drawing its mandate from the Children’s Act, 2022, and Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, the department consolidates efforts to safeguard children, prevent trafficking, and support their overall wellbeing through dedicated programs and services.
