The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) joins Kenya and the rest of Africa in commemorating the Day of the African Child (DAC), marked every year on 16th June. The day provides State Parties with opportunities to reflect on the situation of children in Africa, assess progress they have made in promoting and protecting their rights, and renew their commitment to addressing the barriers to child survival, development, and participation.

The theme for the 2026 commemoration is “Ensuring universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for every child in Africa”.

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a fundamental child right, a priority and a foundation for health, education, dignity, protection and equality. This right is protected under international and regional human rights frameworks. The United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC) guarantees every child the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including safe drinking water and sanitation. The Sustainable Development Goal 6 calls for universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child requires States to ensure adequate nutrition, safe drinking water, hygiene and environmental sanitation for all children.


In Kenya, access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a constitutional, legal and social equity imperative. The Constitution guarantees every person the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities and to reasonable standards of sanitation. It also guarantees every child
the right to health care, basic nutrition, education and protection, and requires that the best interests of the child be treated as a primary consideration. The Children Act, 2022 reinforces the obligation to secure the survival, development, protection and welfare of every child. Vision 2030 and the Kenya Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Policy 2016–2030 provide a strategic focus towards universal access to improved sanitation, clean and healthy environment.

The Commission acknowledges the progress made by National and County Governments, development partners, communities and other stakeholders in improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene for children. These efforts include investments in water infrastructure,
school WASH programmes, (sanitation and hygiene) promotion, community-led sanitation interventions and policy reforms aimed at improving public health and clean environment.

Notably, despite this progress, access to water, sanitation, and hygiene among children unequal and inconsistent. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, about 68 % of Kenya’s population has access to at least basic drinking water services. The
access is lower in rural areas at 56%. Access to basic sanitation stands is estimated at about 41% and about one half of the population has a basic handwashing facility with soap and water
on the premises.

Many schools, rural communities, informal settlements and ASAL areas still experience gaps in safe drinking water, clean toilets, handwashing facilities, menstrual hygiene support and disability-accessible sanitation. In the informal settlements, children are further exposed to overcrowding, shared sanitation facilities, poor drainage, affordability barriers and safety concerns. In ASAL counties and other climate-affected areas, droughts and floods disrupt water supply, sanitation systems and hygiene practices, thereby increasing risks to children’s health, safety and dignity.

These gaps disproportionately affect girls, children with disabilities, children from poor households, those from minority and marginalized communities, from ASAL counties, children in street situations, those in the institutions of care, refugee and displaced children, as well as children affected by droughts, floods and other emergencies.

As we commemorate the Day of the African Child 2026, the Commission calls for bold, coordinated, and sustainable action to ensure no child is left behind in the enjoyment of water, sanitation, and hygiene. We urge the Government and all stakeholders to prioritize the following interventions:

1. Ensure availability of safe water in every school and child-care institution through reliable drinking water points and regular maintenance of water systems.
2. Provide clean and separate adequate toilets for girls and boys, with handwashing stations, soap and menstrual hygiene facilities.

3. Make WASH facilities accessible to children with disabilities by providing disability-friendly toilets, handwashing points and safe pathways.

4. Increase and track WASH budgets for children, with priority to rural areas, informal settlements, ASAL counties, refugee and displacement settings, and communities affected by droughts and floods.
5. Strengthen coordination and accountability across water, education, health, children's services, disability, environment and climate change sectors to ensure integrated delivery, monitoring and maintenance of WASH facilities.
6. Promote child participation in water, sanitation and hygiene solutions by ensuring that children, including girls and children with disabilities, are involved in identifying WASH challenges and proposing practical solutions within schools and communities.
7. Integrate WASH into climate and emergency response by ensuring that drought, flood and displacement responses include safe water, sanitation, hygiene promotion and menstrual hygiene support for children.

The National Gender and Equality Commission reaffirms its commitment to promoting gender equality, freedom from discrimination and inclusion for all children in Kenya.

HON. REHEMA JALDESA
CHAIRPERSON