The Role of African Culture in the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: The Kenyan Experience

Abstract

The issue of child vulnerability is a concern of many postcolonial African governments. The deplorable conditions under which orphans and other vulnerable children live compounds general family poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. Governments and international bodies have passed laws to improve the situation of children. However, this paper will demonstrate, the status of children in Sub-Saharan Africa has continued to deteriorate, thus putting into question the effectiveness of these legislations. With a focus on Kenya, this study explores the possibility of a bottom-up integrated approach that is culturally sensitive in tackling the challenges facing children in Kenya.