The 2022 National Care Reform Strategy for Children seeks to guide national efforts towards family strengthening, robust alternative family care, and transitioning from institutional care to family and community-based care for all children in need of care and protection.

Kenya's 2022 Children Act replaced the 2001 Act and provided enhanced legal provisions to safeguard the rights of children, including formally repealing corporal punishment of children

By becoming a Pathfinding country, Kenya's government leaders made a formal, public commitment to comprehensive action to end all forms of violence against children.

The Pathfinding Countries initiative aims to raise awareness, stimulate leadership commitment, galvanize action, and establish a standard of national violence prevention throughout the world.

Find out more about Kenya as a Pathfinding country

Data to Action workshops bring together stakeholders from multiple sectors to review VACS findings and identify priority issues shown by the data, as well as possible strategies for addressing those issues.

The workshop is a step in a longer process of translating the VACS results into meaningful prevention and response policies and programs.

The collection of data for the second VACS in Kenya took place between December 2018 and January 2019.

The process was conducted through face-to-face computer-assisted personal interviews by trained interviewers with selected eligible participants using a structured questionnaire. To ensure privacy during the study, interviewers were trained to ensure that interviews were conducted in safe and secure locations in order to maximize disclosure and ensure confidentiality.

These guidelines were designed to provide comprehensive guidance on psychosocial support to children who have experienced the impact of emergencies such as natural disasters, conflicts, or humanitarian crises.

The 2018 Computer Misuse & Cybercrimes Act included provisions to protect children from online exploitation and abuse, such as cyberbullying, child pornography, and child sex tourism

The 2018 Standard Operating Procedures provide guidance for healthcare providers on how to apply child-centered approaches for the effective management and support of child survivors of sexual violence.

By providing a comprehensive framework, the Guidelines on Child-Friendly Justice aimed to create an environment where children can fully participate in legal proceedings, receive fair treatment and access justice in a manner sensitive to their needs and best interests. They emphasised the importance of upholding children's rights to privacy, dignity, and non-discrimination throughout legal processes. In addition, they highlighted the need for child-friendly spaces, specialised training for justice sector professionals, and the use of child-appropriate language and communication methods

The 2017 Prevention of Torture Act defines rape and sexual abuse as physical torture and strengthened existing frameworks for the prevention, prohibition and punishment of such acts, as well as reparations to those who had experienced them.

The 2016 Child Labour Policy aimed to eliminate all forms of child labour

This framework provided comprehensive guidelines to ensure the well-being of children in schools, addressing not only violence and abuse but also bullying and other safety concerns. The framework aimed to foster a secure educational environment where children could learn and grow without fear by promoting proactive measures and effective response mechanisms.

The 2016 Sexual Offences Act strengthened the legal framework for addressing sexual offences and providing better survivor protection. It expanded the definition of sexual offences to include offences against children, such as sexual exploitation and abuse. The SOA also criminalized the possession, production, and distribution of child pornography. Additionally, it introduced stricter punishments for sexual offences based on the complainant's age.

The 2015 National Action Plan provided a coordinated approach to implementing legislation, policies, and programmes to address critical issues such as poverty, child labour, and violence against children.

The 2015 Education and Training Sector Gender Policy was designed to create a safe and protective learning and working environment, specifically addressing the issue of sexual harassment and gender-based violence (GBV) within educational institutions. In addition, the policy outlined measures and strategies to prevent and respond to incidents of GBV, promoting gender equality and fostering a supportive atmosphere for all students and staff members.

The 2015 Protection Against Domestic Violence Act offered protection and relief for women and children that had experienced of gender-based violence.

The 2015 Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy recommended the development of safety nets, rehabilitation and rescue mechanisms, and enhanced measures to protect young people in penal institutions from sexual abuse and violence.

These guidelines provided clear direction on the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders involved in managing cases of child abuse and neglect. These guidelines ensured effective coordination, assessment, and intervention strategies for child protection cases.

The 2014 National Guidelines on the Management of Sexual Violence were designed to provide information about the management of sexual violence in Kenya and focus on the necessity of availing quality services that address all the medical, psychosocial, and legal needs of a survivor of sexual violence in both stable and humanitarian contexts.

The 2014 Guidelines for Alternative Family Care of Children provided national guidance for child welfare and protection practitioners in order to improve the
quality of family support and alternative care services in Kenya.

These guidelines provided schools and other educational institutions with comprehensive guidance on identifying and reporting violence cases within the educational setting; by equipping educators and staff with the necessary knowledge and tools, the guidelines aimed to create a safer learning environment for children.

The NCPS provided a comprehensive framework for preventing, responding to, and supporting children who have experienced violence. This system aimed to establish a coordinated and holistic approach to child protection, involving various stakeholders at different levels.

The 2014 Marriage Act established the legal minimum age of marriage for girls at 18 years, thereby helping to prevent child marriage.

Guided facility level service providers to provide comprehensive services to survivors of sexual violence.

This policy aimed to foster a coordinated approach to preventing and responding to GBV by establishing GBV coordination committees at the national, county, and community levels and outlining a range of initiatives focused on prevention, response, and support for survivors.

These guidelines provide a framework for meaningful and effective inclusion of children in decision-making processes. They established principles and standards for child participation and delineated the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved.

The 2013 Media Council Act No.46 protects the privacy of minors by prohibiting the naming of children in sexual offense cases as witnesses, survivors, or defendants and requires parental authorization for media interviews.

This plan committed to establishing integrated one-stop sexual and gender-based violence response centres in healthcare facilities nationwide, providing comprehensive support to victims.

This plan of action was formulated to outline strategies to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse nationwide.

The Child Protection Systems Guidelines were introduced to promote coordination and collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, and other relevant stakeholders in child protection. They facilitated the development and implementation of comprehensive county action plans.

The 2013 National Standards outlined the minimum recommended standards of practice in Children's Charitable Institutions to ensure care and protection to Kenya’s most vulnerable children

The 2013 Basic Education Act aimed to ensure that all children in Kenya are provided with free and compulsory primary education and youth of school-going age attend and complete basic education. Through this Act, Kenya made progress in promoting access to education for all children, including those from marginalized and vulnerable communities.

The NCCS was established as Kenya's primary government agency coordinating child protection efforts. By bringing together government agencies, civil society organisations, and other key actors, the NCCS has been instrumental in enhancing the country's capacity to address issues related to child protection effectively.

The 2011 National Gender Policy provided a framework for promoting gender mainstreaming across all policies, planning, and programming in Kenya. It recognized the importance of incorporating a gender perspective and implementing measures to address gender-based violence. It also established institutional mechanisms to facilitate the effective implementation of gender-related initiatives.

The 2011 Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act outlawed the practice of female genital mutilation and categorised it as a violation of a person's mental and physical integrity. This act has been widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive laws against female genital mutilation in Africa, as it clearly defines the practice, criminalizes perpetration, mandates reporting of cases, and prohibits verbal abuse or shaming of uncut women.

The collection of data for the first VACS in Kenya was conducted between November and December 2010.

The Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2010 prohibited all forms of human trafficking and imposed penalties for trafficking children, including sexual exploitation.

Kenya's 2010 National Children Policy provided a comprehensive framework for addressing children's rights and welfare issues, as well as monitoring and evaluation criteria for implementing related policies and programmes. The policy prioritizes children's survival, development, participation, and protection, with the aim of creating an environment where all the rights of a child in Kenya are fulfilled.

The Standards were designed to harmonise interventions by stakeholders, encourage fair distribution of services and provide a framework for monitoring and evaluating the impact of the programs serving vulnerable children.