Turkana and West Pokot counties have signed memorandum of understanding with Childline Kenya to strengthen child protection systems and advocacy amid growing concerns over children’s safety.
The agreements are aimed at addressing gaps in reporting, response and management of child abuse cases, as well as improving coordination between county structures and national child protection systems.
West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin said the partnership marks a firm commitment by his administration to safeguard children and promote their rights within a safer and more supportive environment.
The MoU is expected to strengthen institutional responses to child exploitation and abuse, which remain a growing concern both within the county and nationally.
“We want to ensure that our children enjoy their rights in a safe and supportive environment,” Governor Kachapin said.
He added that the agreement would help build stronger systems to protect children from abuse and neglect, while improving response mechanisms across the county.
Childline Kenya, which co-manages the National Child Helpline 116—a 24-hour toll-free service offering counselling, crisis intervention and referral support—said the partnership will help deepen county-level response networks.
Its patron, Lemarron Kaanto, said the framework will integrate grassroots child protection systems with national response structures to improve efficiency and coordination.
Youth and social services executive Lucky Litole said embedding Childline Kenya’s technical expertise within West Pokot would significantly reduce response times in emergency child welfare cases.
In Turkana, a similar MoU was signed to enhance child protection services and strengthen emergency response mechanisms for vulnerable children.
The partnership includes plans to establish a social services call centre and build capacity among service providers to prevent and respond to child protection concerns at community level.
Deputy Governor John Erus said development partners must remain aligned to agreed objectives to ensure effective service delivery.
He stressed the importance of leveraging existing county structures to ensure sustainability of child protection interventions.
“Protecting children is a collective responsibility, and partnerships such as this one are important in strengthening systems that respond to the needs of vulnerable children and communities,” Erus said.
He also raised concern over the growing number of child-led households in Kakuma, noting cases where underage girls from host communities are becoming parents at an early age.
Childline Kenya executive director Martha Sunda said the collaboration will strengthen community-based protection systems and improve access to timely emergency social services for children and families in need.
The signing ceremonies in both counties were attended by senior county officials and representatives from Childline Kenya, including Sunda and programme lead Joakim Kamau, alongside partners from local organisations supporting child rights initiatives.
