Kenya’s National Assembly Adopts the National Policy on Elimination of Child Labour
On 06 October 2016, Kenya’s parliament debated and passed the national policy on elimination of child labour; commonly known as Sessional Paper number 1 of 2015 on the National Policy on Elimination of Child Labour.
6 October 2016
The policy therefore seeks to capitalize on and maximize the effects of the existing macro and sectoral policies and programmes that among other things target economic growth, employment creation, increasing access and returns to education, and poverty reduction, which are some of the underlying causes of child labour. It aims at building synergy and mainstreaming child labour interventions in national, county and sectoral policies. The policy focuses on strategies that are aimed at prevention, identification, withdrawal, rehabilitation and reintegration of children involved in all forms of child labour. The ultimate vision is to have a child labour free society.
Estimates show that 773,697 children were involved in child labour in Kenya as of 2008. Out of these, about 2.5 per cent were engaged in hazardous work with eight in every ten of the children engaged in hazardous work being boys. Other estimates also indicate that over 4 million children of school going age were out of school as of 2009. With the high incidences of child labour, these children could be working and not enjoying their constitutional right to education and holistic development.
It is in recognition of the foregoing that the Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Protection (MEACL&SP), social partners, private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders, having sought and considered the views of the children in child labour and/or withdrawn from child labour, developed the National Child Labour Policy. The Policy targets three broad groups of children: children at risk, children already harmed by exposure to child labour, and children in the worst forms of child labour requiring immediate direct action. A key component of the policy is the strong institutional framework and integrated implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) through its International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) supported the development of the policy through the leadership of the National Steering Committee on Child Labour, the National Labour Board and the National Council for Children Services. Technical assistance and financial support has been provided through various technical cooperation programmes such as the Combatting Child Labour in Agriculture (COMAGRI); Time Bound Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (TBP); Tackling Child Labour through Education (TACKLE); Support to the National Action Plan on elimination of child labour (SNAP); and Combatting Child Labour through Skills Training.
The National Policy on Elimination of Child Labour; commonly known as Sessional Paper Number 1 of 2015 on the National Policy on Elimination of Child Labour ►
Estimates show that 773,697 children were involved in child labour in Kenya as of 2008. Out of these, about 2.5 per cent were engaged in hazardous work with eight in every ten of the children engaged in hazardous work being boys. Other estimates also indicate that over 4 million children of school going age were out of school as of 2009. With the high incidences of child labour, these children could be working and not enjoying their constitutional right to education and holistic development.
It is in recognition of the foregoing that the Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Protection (MEACL&SP), social partners, private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders, having sought and considered the views of the children in child labour and/or withdrawn from child labour, developed the National Child Labour Policy. The Policy targets three broad groups of children: children at risk, children already harmed by exposure to child labour, and children in the worst forms of child labour requiring immediate direct action. A key component of the policy is the strong institutional framework and integrated implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) through its International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) supported the development of the policy through the leadership of the National Steering Committee on Child Labour, the National Labour Board and the National Council for Children Services. Technical assistance and financial support has been provided through various technical cooperation programmes such as the Combatting Child Labour in Agriculture (COMAGRI); Time Bound Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (TBP); Tackling Child Labour through Education (TACKLE); Support to the National Action Plan on elimination of child labour (SNAP); and Combatting Child Labour through Skills Training.
The National Policy on Elimination of Child Labour; commonly known as Sessional Paper Number 1 of 2015 on the National Policy on Elimination of Child Labour ►