University of Nairobi Mombasa Campus

The University of Nairobi Mombasa Campus, Faculty of Law hosted a child justice actors workshop, supported by the European Union through the Amkeni Wakenya Programme.

This workshop brought together critical child justice actors including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Department of Children Services (DCS), the Judiciary, Probation and After Care Service (PACS) the National Police Service, the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) and civil society.

Grounded in the Children Act, 2022, the session focused on strengthening inter-agency coordination in the implementation of diversion and other child-centred justice mechanisms. Stakeholders engaged in candid discussions on practical collaboration, information-sharing, and referral pathways aimed at ensuring that children are protected from unnecessary contact with the formal justice system while addressing the underlying causes of offending.

Key takeaways:
*Renewed commitment to multi-sectoral coordination;
*Prioritisation of diversion at the earliest stages of contact with the law;
*Enhanced collaboration between justice actors and community-based structures to support rehabilitation and reintegration.

Thank you distinguished panellists and participants.

Panellists’ parting shots:

*Hon Chepchirchir (Tononoka Children’s Court) - Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration - for diversion to work we must work together. Let us not make the chain break.
*Ms Mohammed (Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions) - We have to be intentional as a society, diversion is not a one man’s show. Children are the backbone of our society, we have to start with nurturing them.
*Mr. Kuria (Directorate of Children’s Services)- Diversion has to be genuine…not just on paper. Let us implement it.
*Mr. Obonyo (Mombasa Law Society) - All advocates and other justice actors need to be sensitised on diversion and once sensitised we sensitise others.

Diversion done right is not being “soft” on crime but provides an opportunity for taking responsibility of crimes and rehabilitating child offenders.

The University of Nairobi Faculty of Law in Mombasa supported by the European Union through the UNDP Amkeni Wakenya programme, hosted a community engagement on diversion and reintegration of child offenders in Kisauni, Mombasa.

Highlights of the engagement:

* The community plays a critical role in supporting children during and after the diversion process.
* Research reveals that child offending in Kenya is largely caused by family and community issues; interventions must therefore address the underlying push factors that contribute child offending.

Key stakeholders including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Directorate of Children Services, Probation and After Care Service and Kenya Prisons Service shared insights on their roles and how communities can actively participate in promoting child justice and rehabilitation.

This initiative reaffirms the need for collaboration between the child justice system child and communities in responding to child offending.

Nayfeen Najim
European Union in Kenya
UNDP Kenya
Steve Githaiga

https://tinyurl.com/bbnjinforseries