Turkana: Turkana Deputy Governor John Erus has reaffirmed the County Government’s commitment to child protection and welfare, emphasising the need to strengthen children’s participation in governance and decision-making processes.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Erus made these remarks during the Turkana Children’s Conference, which was organised by the Department of Children’s Services, the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, and social protection partners. He supported proposals to begin children’s conferences at the sub-county level before advancing to the county stage. Dr. Erus highlighted the administration’s focus on education and social protection as outlined in Agenda Five, which aims for the revitalisation of education in the county. He pointed to the staffing of ECDE centers, improvements in education infrastructure, and the deployment of social protection officers as evidence of this commitment.
Dr. Erus also spoke about the administration’s earlier involvement in peace and justice missions, spearheaded by the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, as part of their commitment to children’s rights. He urged elected leaders to actively participate in these conferences, noting that their involvement would enhance civic awareness and understanding of participation as a civic right among children. He suggested establishing children-led governing councils at the sub-county and county levels and encouraged regular engagement between leaders and children.
Wilson Losike, Programmes Convenor at the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, stated that the conference aims to build children’s leadership and governance capacity, enhance life skills and values, and empower them to speak out on issues affecting them. He highlighted that children play a crucial role in peace building, climate change mitigation, and fostering responsible citizenship through initiatives like peace clubs and 4K clubs.
Turkana has now become the second county in the former Rift Valley region to host a county-level children’s conference, following Kajiado, with expectations that more counties will follow suit. County Children’s Officer Jared Atsiaya praised the support from development partners such as UNICEF, Save the Children, and others for backing the event. He mentioned that the conference is part of broader efforts to integrate Turkana children into the national governance structure of the Children’s Council, with plans to conduct elections to form Turkana’s Children’s Council, allowing participation in national forums.
Atsiaya also warned about the severe legal penalties under Kenyan law for violations of children’s rights. Child participants at the conference came from all eleven sub-counties of Turkana, including boys, girls, and learners with disabilities, demonstrating the county’s commitment to inclusive participation.
