Kenya is seeking public input to establish a Child Welfare Fund to improve child protection services in the country.

In Kakamega, stakeholders raised concerns over issues of accountability, equitable resource allocation and implementation during a public forum on the proposed Child Welfare Fund Regulation 2026.

Regional Coordinator for Children Services in western Kenya Duncan Ng’eno underlined the importance of the fund but cautioned against possible inequities in resource distribution if clear allocation criteria are not established.

Mr Ng’eno noted that vulnerability levels vary significantly across counties and warned that a uniform allocation model could disadvantage high-needs areas.

“We must have a clear, data-driven formula for resource allocation. Without this, regions with the highest number of vulnerable children risk being underfunded,” he said.

A Department of Children Services officer in Kakamega Joyce Wamboko raised concerns over weak monitoring and accountability structures at county level and stated that the success of the fund will largely depend on strong oversight mechanisms.

Wamboko pointed that past social protection programmes have faced challenges due to gaps in tracking and reporting.

“If we do not strengthen accountability systems at the grassroots, the fund may not reach the intended beneficiaries. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks must be clearly defined in the regulations,” she said.

Assistant County Commissioner Lairuka Sindani, who represented County Commissioner Onesmus Kyatha highlighted coordination gaps between national and county governments. He warned that overlapping mandates may hinder effective implementation.

The official called for a clearly defined intergovernmental framework to streamline roles and avoid duplication of efforts.

During her technical presentation, Loyce Anzigale from the State Department for Children Services, explained that the proposed regulations are designed to operationalise provisions of the Children Act, 2022, and the Public Finance Management Act of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.

Anzigale clarified that while the Children Act provides the legal framework, the regulations outline practical implementation procedures, including management, disbursement and utilisation of the fund.

“The Act provides the foundation but these regulations define how the fund will function in practice, who benefits, how funds are accessed, and how accountability is ensured,” she explained.

She further noted that the fund will support child protection, family strengthening and alternative care interventions that include assistance to foster parents, kinship caregivers, child-headed households and homeless children.

“Child protection is a devolved function in practice, but the fund is national. Without proper coordination structures, implementation conflicts are inevitable,” the representative noted.

However, participants raised concerns about the lack of clear eligibility criteria, particularly for informal caregivers, warning that ambiguity could lead to exclusion of deserving beneficiaries.

Stakeholders also questioned the sustainability of the fund, calling on the government to outline long-term financing mechanisms to guarantee continuity of support programmes.

In addition, concerns were raised over limited public awareness of the proposed regulations, with participants urging the government to intensify civic education to ensure communities understand how to access the fund and participate in its implementation.

Despite the concerns, participants acknowledged that the establishment of the Child Welfare Fund is a significant step towards addressing persistent challenges affecting children like poverty, neglect, abuse, family breakdown and exposure to harmful practices.

The forum reaffirmed the importance of public participation as a constitutional requirement, with participants submitting both oral and written memoranda to inform the finalisation of the regulations.

The department for children Services is expected to consolidate feedback from similar forums in the country before finalising and gazetting the Child Welfare Fund Regulations.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Geoffrey Wang’anya