First Lady Rachael Ruto highlighted Kenya’s progress in advancing children’s rights and welfare during the national celebration of the International Day of the African Child in Mwatate, Taita Taveta county.
She emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring access to education for all children, stating that Kenya is dedicated to helping children reach their full potential.
The International Day of the African Child commemorates the massacre of hundreds of black children in Soweto, South Africa, on June 16, 1976, who protested against the poor quality of education. This year’s theme was “Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now.”
“We must commend our government for the significant strides we have made towards achieving the theme of this celebration, as well as the impactful steps we have taken to improve the state of education nationwide,” Mama Rachel said on Sunday
First Lady Ruto praised the government’s efforts to achieve this theme, citing several key initiatives:
1. Recruitment of Teachers: The government has hired an additional 30,000 teachers, bringing the total to 41,000, to improve the quality of education nationwide.
2. School Meal Programme: In 2023, 1.8 million more primary school children were included in the School Meal Programme, a collaborative effort between the national and devolved governments. This initiative has increased the transition rate from primary to secondary school from 84.5% in 2022 to 91% in 2023.
3. Digital Education: The government is enhancing access to digital education through the Jitume Digital Hubs programme, implemented by Konza Technopolis. This initiative aims to equip learning institutions with computers.
4. TVET Training: The state has recruited 1,300 additional trainers for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, a 22% increase from the 5,833 trainers in 2022.
In a speech read by Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs PS Joseph Motari on behalf of Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore, it was reiterated that the government will continue to implement the Inua Jamii programme to safeguard children’s rights.
During the celebration, First Lady Rachael Ruto emphasized the significance of the Inua Jamii programme, which supports at least 1.2 million households, including 353,000 orphans and vulnerable children.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore mentioned that the state is enhancing the capacity of the children’s department to prevent extremism and protect children against radicalization.
“We are in the process of fully operationalising the Children’s Act, 2022, and just concluded public participation on drugs regulations for finalisation
She also highlighted efforts to fully operationalize the Children’s Act, 2022, and complete the public participation process on drug regulations.
The event saw attendance from key local leaders, including Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, Mwatate MP Peter Shake, Taveta MP John Bwire, and Woman Representative Lydia Haika.
Haika urged the government to reintroduce the school feeding programme in the county to improve school attendance and ensure children have access to food. She emphasized the importance of parental support in safeguarding children’s welfare and announced the ongoing construction of a modern rescue center to protect children’s rights.
