Catholic Activists Call for Amendment of “deeply flawed” Children Act in Kenya

“The Act fails to protect children from adult responsibilities and dangers, which could have serious consequences for their well-being,” say officials of the entity that advocates for the promotion of family values.

Children are minors and need to be treated as such, the Catholic activists say, adding that children “should not be prematurely given the same responsibilities before the law that they would be given at the age of maturity.”

In the petition, CitizenGo Africa members also express concern about the discussion of intersex in the Children Act of 2022 in Kenya.

“One of the most concerning aspects of the Act is its inclusion of the term and definition of ‘intersex’, and all language associated with it,” they say. 

While we acknowledge that people with intersex traits require individualized responses from medical professionals and their parents, the Catholic activists say, “We believe that this law is not the place to discuss the very real and complicated reality of intersex people.”

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“Medical associations or hospitals could create technical guides for dealing with these cases, rather than attempting to legislate around them,” members of CitizenGo Africa say in their petition against Kenya’s 2022 Children Act.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.