Kisii: The Judiciary in Kisii County has identified a shortage of staff as one of the major causes for delays in the timely prosecution of children's matters in court. Speaking during the commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour at Itierio grounds in Kisii South Sub County, Kisii Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Omwanza said some of the child matters drag in court due to the availability of few judicial officers.
According to Kenya News Agency, Omwanza noted that the law demands that any children's matter should be processed within six months; unfortunately, the cases take longer than that because the judicial staff are few and cannot manage the case workload. The Judicial Officer also highlighted the issue of community members' reluctance to provide evidence in court regarding child matters, saying it had contributed to cases being withdrawn or dismissed.
Omwanza urged residents to provide evidence in court whenever a crime has been committed, especially in matters concerning children, to ensure timely justice. In the same event, the Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Africa (ACCEL Africa) National Project Officer Duncan Chando reported that child labour is still prominent in the tea and coffee value chains in Kisii, with children engaging in tea and coffee picking.
Chando advocated for a multi-sectoral approach to raise awareness and work towards eliminating child labour in the county. He called on society and partners to unite and expedite processes to eradicate child labour. The ACCEL Africa project, implemented by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), aims to eliminate child labour in supply chains in Kisii, Kericho, Nyeri, and Meru counties in Kenya.
According to the Child Labour Global Estimates released in June 2025 by ILO and UNICEF, approximately 138 million children are still engaged in child labour. Out of these, over 54 million children are involved in hazardous work that endangers their health, safety, and development. Notably, agriculture accounts for nearly 70 per cent of all child labourers, especially on family farms, with children in rural areas being three times more likely to be engaged in child labour compared to their urban peers.
The report also reveals that the Sub-Saharan Africa region, including Kenya, has witnessed the slowest progress in eliminating child labour due to population growth and limited resources. Kisii County Director of Children Services Patrick Awino emphasized that children's matters are complex and encouraged collaboration with relevant stakeholders to identify cases of child abuse.
The Director urged community members to work with child protection volunteers to identify cases of child abuse at the grassroots and escalate them to the relevant authorities for intervention. The World Day Against Child Labour is observed annually on June 12 and is dedicated to raising awareness and combating child labour.