Nairobi: Chief Justice Martha Koome has called for a whole-of-society approach to eliminate child labour in Kenya. The CJ underscored the need for collaboration across institutions, noting that while the judiciary plays a critical role, it cannot achieve this goal alone.

According to Kenya News Agency, during the official opening of the Employment and Labour Relations Court Annual Symposium (ELRASE III) in Nairobi, themed ‘Elimination of All Forms of Child Labour and Access to Justice,’ Justice Koome emphasized the necessity of a collective effort. She urged Parliament to strengthen legal protections, the Executive to implement effective policies, the private sector to adopt ethical practices, and civil society and communities to advocate for children at the grassroots level.

Chief Justice Koome highlighted the symposium as a platform to forge this collective responsibility, encouraging participants to share experiences and co-create solutions. She insisted that discussions must lead to actions that transform the lives of children at risk of or already involved in child labour, urging participants to strengthen accountability systems and expand access to justice.

She further emphasized that justice for children is justice for society, advocating for education and freedom from labour as a means to nurture future leaders and innovators. CJ Koome described child labour as a grave social injustice that denies children their rights and entrenches cycles of poverty.

The Chief Justice praised the Employment and Labour Relations Court’s role in interpreting and enforcing labour standards and noted the establishment of specialised Children’s Courts to provide child-sensitive judicial processes. She also mentioned the Judiciary’s Child Justice Strategy (2023-2030) aimed at protecting children interacting with the justice system.

Chief Justice Koome called on all stakeholders, including judges, policymakers, and citizens, to leave the symposium with a renewed commitment to ending child labour. She urged that the conversations lead to concrete actions that protect the dignity and rights of children.

Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, highlighted the critical timing of the forum and Kenya’s progress in aligning its laws with international standards. Justice Byram Ongaya, Principal Judge of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, remarked on the symposium’s role in sharing progress and identifying challenges to eliminate exploitative child labour.