Busia County | 26th August 2026

Baridi Kwa Baridi Women CBO participated in the public participation process for the review of Kenya’s Draft National Policy on the Elimination of Child Labour, an important process for strengthening the country’s response to child labour and ensuring that children are protected from exploitation.

For Baridi Kwa Baridi, the review of the Policy is particularly critical because elimination of child labour is closely connected to the work we undertake through the Not Invisible Anymore (NIA) project, which seeks to address the vulnerabilities and exploitation faced by children, including child domestic workers.

The public participation process was supported by partners including Freedom Fund and AICS, who are part of the NIA partnership, creating an important space for organizations working directly with communities to bring their experiences and perspectives into the policy process.

Bringing community realities into policy

During the engagement, Baridi Kwa Baridi reflected on some of the realities experienced at community level, particularly the challenges surrounding child domestic work, one of the more hidden forms of child labour.

We emphasized the need for stronger community-based mechanisms for identifying children at risk, referral and case management, rehabilitation and reintegration, as well as stronger linkages between vulnerable households and social protection services.

We also highlighted the importance of better and integrated child-labour data, particularly for hidden forms of child labour that may not easily be captured through conventional labour inspection mechanisms.

An integrated system that connects national, county and community-level actors could strengthen identification, referrals, case tracking and follow-up, while ensuring that children’s information remains protected and confidential

Skills development and the pathway to self-reliance

As an organization involved in skilling vulnerable young people, Baridi Kwa Baridi also emphasized the importance of clearly distinguishing age-appropriate skills development from child labour.

Our approach is not to place children into employment. Rather, we seek to equip young people with appropriate skills and support that can contribute to self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods at the appropriate age, while ensuring that education remains a priority and children are protected from hazardous and exploitative work.

A multi-agency and cross-border commitment

The participation of our Ugandan counterparts was another important aspect of the engagement.

Their presence demonstrated the importance of a multi-agency and cross-border approach to eliminating child labour, particularly in border communities where the movement and exploitation of children can extend beyond national boundaries.

Child labour does not always respect administrative or national borders. Addressing it therefore requires cooperation between government institutions, civil society organizations, communities and partners across borders.

The participation of both Kenyan and Ugandan actors reinforced a shared commitment to ensuring that children are protected regardless of their nationality.

From policy to action

The review provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made under Kenya’s existing child-labour framework while identifying gaps that require stronger action, including poverty, school dropout, trafficking, hidden forms of child labour, inadequate data, limited resources and coordination challenges.

Baridi Kwa Baridi believes that an effective policy must ultimately translate into action at community level—where children, families and communities experience the realities of child labour.

We appreciate the opportunity to contribute our community-level experience to this important process and remain committed to working alongside government, civil society, development partners and our regional counterparts towards the prevention and elimination of child labour and the creation of safer, more sustainable futures for vulnerable children and young people.