United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

The Launch of Publications on Rehabilitation and Social Integration for the Department of Children's Services 

Nairobi (Kenya), 28 April – The publications: Assessment Report on Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration Programmes Services and Practices for Children in Conflict with the Law in Kenya; and the Blueprint for Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration Programmes for Children in Conflict with the law in Kenya were officially launched on 28 April 2021 by the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Hon. Simon Chelugui.

Funded by the Government of Canada, the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) sought to assess rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for children in conflict with the law to inform its strategic planning and enhance the effectiveness of the programmes they offer. On the other hand, the Blueprint which was informed by the findings of the assessment provides a framework within which rehabilitation and reintegration programmes should be implemented in each institution within the child justice system. Furthermore, it highlights the principles that should inform processes at each stage of the child justice system and sets out requirements for each programme to run optimally, in line with the overall objective of rehabilitation and reintegration.

During the launch event, Hon. Chelugui recognized and appreciated the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office Eastern Africa for their devoted and unending support to the Government in implementing rehabilitation programmes within the Statutory Children’s Institutions. He also appreciated the donor’s financial support and stakeholders who participated in the development and validation of the publications.

Hon. Chelugui affirmed that the Ministry in collaboration with key stakeholders in the child justice system is committed to ensuring that officers are trained on the standards of dealing with children in conflict with the law as well as Throughcare and Aftercare Procedures in order to equip them with basic skills to aid their work. He also called upon all stakeholders to adopt the recommendations made in these reports to improve the existing rehabilitation programmes, practices and services for children in conflict with the law in Kenya.

Some of the recommendations made in the assessment report are already being implemented through the project on “Preventing Violent Extremism through Rehabilitation, Vocational Training and Social Reintegration in children’s statutory institutions in Kenya”, funded by the Government of Canada.

First Secretary for Political and Public Affairs at the Canadian High Commission in Kenya, Ms. Kate Churchill-Smith expressed Canada’s gratitude in seeing the investment made to literacy, vocational training and expanded educational opportunities for youth as part of their rehabilitation, providing an alternative to criminality and to violent extremism recruitment. She added that this was one of the projects the Government of Canada was supporting through the Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Programme housed in the Department of Global Affairs.

“Indeed, The Decade of Action calls on governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals everywhere to create an unstoppable force to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, which gives more reason for UNODC, as part of its mandate to provide member states with the necessary technical support in the prevention of crime as we work towards achieving Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals,” stated Ms. Sylvie Bertrand, Officer in Charge and Deputy Regional Representative. She also stated that with the launch of these publications, all stakeholders in the Child Justice System will be able to make informed decisions and implementation plans in a more coordinated manner, in response to child justice concerns.

These initiatives resonate with the recently launched UNODC Africa Strategic vision which stipulates that in the next five years, UNODC will strengthen cooperation between criminal justice systems and other sectors of government and civil society to effectively prevent and respond to violence and crime and reduce vulnerabilities.

Link to the publications:

https://www.socialprotection.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DCS_Assessment-of-Rehabilitation-and-Reintegration-Programmes_HR.pdf

https://www.socialprotection.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/BLUEPRINT-FOR-REHABILITATION-AND-SOCIAL-REINTEGRATION-PROGRAMMES_AD_fa_new_Web.pdf

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