As Kenya joined the rest of the world in marking the Day of the African Child (DAC) 2025, it became clear that we must confront an uncomfortable truth. While we have made legislative strides in recognizing children’s rights, we have yet to meaningfully include children in the processes that shape their future especially in national and county budgeting. 

This year’s theme, “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010,”reminds us that policies without children’s voices are incomplete and budgets without their participation miss the mark. Despite the promises of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, many African governments including Kenya, still plan for children not with them. But meaningful progress requires more than budgeting in their name, it requires budgeting with their input, insight and lived experience. 

At ICRHK, we believe in practicing the four guiding principles of child rights not just in rhetoric, but in action. 

• Non-discrimination: Every child whether living with a disability, out of school or in a remote village must have an equal say in matters affecting them. 
• Child participation: Children’s voices are not just valid, they are important. We must create child-friendly spaces and tools that allow them to be heard in public planning and budgeting. 
• Survival and development: Budgets must prioritize children’s holistic development not only health and education, but also psychosocial support, protection and safe environments. 
• Best interests of the child: This should be the gold standard in every line of a national or county budget. If it doesn’t benefit children first, it’s not a priority. 

At ICRHK, we are fully committed to co-creating and co-designing programs with children from identifying the root causes of child rights violations, to implementation, evaluation and holding programs accountable at every step. We have seen firsthand how, when given the opportunity, children offer creative, grounded and bold ideas that make interventions more responsive and sustainable. 

Children are not too young to understand how resources shape their access to education, healthcare and protection. What they need are child-friendly tools and inclusive platforms to express these views meaningfully. 

The call this year is simple but urgent: Governments must embed child participation in public finance management systems. Children’s councils, school clubs and youth parliaments must be linked to real budgetary decisions not left on the sidelines. 

Let 2025 be the year we finally recognize that children are not just passive beneficiaries, they are active stakeholders. They don’t need our permission to dream, they need platforms to be heard. Let’s give them the space they deserve and the budgets that reflect their priorities.

By Norah Mwangi -Child protection Officer, ICRHK