Catholic Activists Pushing for Creation of “Family Ministry” in Kenyan Government

The CitizenGo members demand that the government makes good plans to create the Family Ministry given that a family policy is already in place but, unfortunately, “has been lying on the shelves of the Ministry of Labour, Social Services, and Security”.

They find it regrettable that the family policy that they say was drafted by a dedicated team has been lying on the shelves of the Ministry for close to five years now.

“We have followed up with the ministry but you could tell that the policy has not been their priority, of course, they have!” CitizenGo members in Kenya say, and add, “It is time Kenya stopped bundling the family with other Ministries yet as per the Constitution of Kenya of 2010, the Family is the fundamental unit of society.”

“The natural family is under heavy attack right now, we have to defend, protect and promote it and this will demand a dedicated department,” the activists say.

According to the Catholic activists, many global countries have a dedicated ministry of the family and from the policies they have developed, good results can be seen.

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They give the example of the Hungarian government, which has linked family benefits to work, and which they say “rewards every homestead that gives birth to a new child and has a sustainable policy to sustain this.”

Inviting people to sign the petition prompting President Ruto to create the Family Ministry, the CitizenGo members in Kenya say, “For the longest time now, we have ignored the institution of the family in the national agenda. The family is the fundamental unit of the society and must be protected, promoted and defended.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.