Kenya Women Senators Association

22/09/2026

Muungano wa maseneta wa k**e KEWOSA umetamaushwa idadi kubwa ya vi...

21/09/2026

𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝐆𝐞𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐮, 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲

Women senators have sounded the alarm over the growing vulnerability of children, calling for urgent action to protect girls from sexual abuse and early pregnancy.

Last year, Kilifi County recorded 7,253 adolescent pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 19, including cases involving girls as young as 10, amid calls for a stronger government response to sexual and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and HIV.

The figures, cited by nominated Senator Catherine Mumma during a Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA) outreach at Gede Comprehensive School in Watamu, Kilifi County, were provided by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC).

The NSDCC statistics also show that Kilifi recorded 359 new HIV infections in 2025, of which 62 were among people aged 10 to 19.

Senator Mumma said the numbers were more than statistics because behind each figure was a child whose education, health and future could be disrupted.

The figures for girls aged between 10 and 14 were particularly concerning, with 23 pregnancies recorded in Ganze, 13 in Kaloleni, 22 in Kilifi North, 46 in Kilifi South, 29 in Magarini, six in Malindi and eight in Rabai.

“Our number one concern was to see whether we can speak to them, to partner with them, so that girls and boys can be protected against the triple threat of gender-based violence, HIV, and teen pregnancies,” Senator Mumma said.

She said the county could not accept the scale of adolescent pregnancy and challenged authorities to explain what happens to cases involving children once they are reported.

She questioned why thousands of pregnancies were not reflected in an equivalent number of cases of defilement reaching the courts.

“If we had 7,200 girls and above who were defiled, can you show us the 7,200 cases in Kilifi that have been taken because somebody defiled those girls?” Senator Mumma posed.

According to Senator Mumma, authorities needed to distinguish cases involving sexual relations between minors from those involving adults who sexually abuse children, including relatives such as uncles and stepfathers.

“Have you been able to follow up so that you can identify and say, of these cases, so many were out of consensual relation with another minor, so many of them are because an uncle, a stepfather, and so on?” Senator Mumma said.

She argued that the scale of the problem requires SGBV to be treated as a security issue rather than left primarily to social interventions.

“We are taking GBV lightly. We need to take it as a matter of internal security,” she said.

Senator Mumma urged chiefs, local administrators and security agencies to intervene, arrest alleged perpetrators and ensure children are not pushed into early marriages.

“We told them that communities in Kenya want them to do their job of intervening, arresting those who defile girls and boys, and to also not be colluders to get children into child marriages,” she said.

Her remarks came amid concerns raised by the Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu, a KEWOSA friend, over the handling of SGBV cases at community level.

Ms Mbeyu said chiefs often encounter such cases but cannot take them to court themselves, noting that the responsibility to initiate criminal proceedings lies with the police.

She also said some parents compromise the fight against SGBV because of shame, while cases that have been reported can remain unresolved for long periods in the name of investigations.

The senators called for closer cooperation between local administration, schools, communities and law enforcement agencies to ensure cases move from reporting to investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution.

Nominated Senator Miraj Abdullahi said the fight against SGBV could only succeed if government agencies worked together.

“Let’s work together in order to fight SGBV. All government apparatus should work together in arresting the perpetrators of this act,” Senator Abdullahi said.

And for nominated Senator Consolata Wakwabubi, a united response between the schools management, communities and the police, particularly the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, have a role to play.

“I continue to condemn the Bungoma incident and that’s why I am calling for unity in fighting triple threat,” Senator Wakwabubi said.

For nominated Senator Prof Margaret Kamar, the protection of children must go hand in hand with keeping them in school.

“As learners, you need to know that education is powerful. Work hard and focus in life. Hard work isn’t painful, it’s enjoyable,” Prof Kamar told the learners.

The senators' outreach also exposed challenges extending beyond teenage pregnancy and SGBV. At a special school visited by the delegation, they were told that there were 130 girls for every one toilet, prompting calls for urgent provision of additional sanitation facilities and running water.

Senator Mumma said the Senate would follow up on concerns affecting special-needs education, including reports that specialised teachers were being moved from special schools.

She said the Senate Standing Committee on Education would engage the Teachers Service Commission over the matter.

“We will be calling the TSC so that we can have conversation about the need to secure the small number of specialised teachers to remain in the special schools,” she said.

The delegation also heard concerns over Early Childhood Development Education, a function of county governments, and called for closer cooperation between national and county authorities in providing facilities for learners.

“The key issue is how do we strengthen our education system to be protective to girls and boys?” she added.

The Watamu outreach was part of KEWOSA's broader campaign against the triple threat of SGBV, teenage pregnancy and HIV.

The women Senators also donated sanitary towels, undergarments, exercise books, pens, bar soaps among other goodies.

Those in attendence also were nominated Senator Betty Montet who is also chairperson of Senate Standing Committee on Education, Kilifi County Assembly Speaker Catherine Kenga, Kilifi County Women Caucus among others.

20/09/2026

𝐊𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐒𝐀 𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢, 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲

Female Senators have asked devolved units to come up with childcare policies and prioritize funds allocation for daycare services arguing that children in home-based care should not be left out of essential public services.

The push emerged during an engagement between he Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA) and members of Sauti ya Wanawake and the Home-Based Child Care Providers’ National Association, who shared the challenges facing women providing childcare from their homes.

The caregivers told KEWOSA that licensing requirements were placing a financial burden on small-scale providers, with some paying up to Sh10,000 annually despite earning very little while in some circumstances they were earning a paltry of Sh50 per child.

They also raised concerns that children under home-based care are often excluded from county services such as feeding programmes, Vitamin A supplementation and healthcare, which are more readily available to children attending formal Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres.

However, nominated Senator Catherine Mumma said counties already have a constitutional responsibility to provide childcare but have largely failed to develop policies to implement the function.

“County governments exist to implement certain functions. Section nine of the Fourth Schedule on county assemblies gives the function of ECDE, VTC and childcare to county governments,” Senator Mumma said.

She challenged county leaders to examine whether their governments have policies specifically addressing childcare.

“Did you know that county governments have the function called childcare? Do you have a policy on childcare?” she posed.

According to Senator Mumma, childcare has been among the functions that have received limited attention from county governments despite being part of their responsibilities under devolution.

She said the national government has developed a childcare policy through the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services but questioned its alignment with the devolved system.

“The national government, the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services has actually developed a national policy on this issue, but that policy is not aligned to devolution,” Senator Mumma said.

She asked the national government to focus on setting standards while counties take responsibility for implementing childcare services.

Senator Mumma went further to link the childcare debate to the needs of low-income workers, saying many families depend on women who work as domestic workers and other low-paid employees.

“The care we are talking about is the child of those people who take care of you,” she said.

She proposed integrating childcare centres into affordable housing projects so parents living in such developments can access care within their communities.

“The so-called affordable houses, we need to design facilities for children. If we are going to put affordable housing, it will help if we have a childcare centre, so that these members don't have to worry about the standards you are asking them,” she elucidated.

The Senator added: “If we don't have it, can somebody pull us together so that we can actually come up then with a modern county policy on childcare?”

On her part, nominated Senator Prof Margaret Kamar urged childcare advocates to use public participation forums to ensure the service receives funding in county budgets.

She said communities should raise childcare during the preparation of County Integrated Development Plans rather than waiting until later stages of the budgeting process.

“Make sure you go there with the loudest voice,” Kamar said, urging stakeholders not to begin their demands with ECDE alone.

“Start from childcare. Let us go and demand that we get it in the budget of that state,” she added.

She also pointed to Kisumu as an example of how childcare can be integrated into community spaces, recalling childcare centres established around markets during her work in the county between 2013 and 2017.

The push for stronger daycare services has also received support from other legislators.

Nominated Senator Betty Montet said daycare centres and daycare policies had featured prominently in the Senate Standing Committee on Education.

“Currently, it’s only Kericho County which has daycare centre because of the tea plantation,” Senator Montet said.

Nominated Senator Miraj Abdullahi said the engagement had given fresh momentum to her proposed legislation seeking to push counties to establish daycare centres.

“The conversation on daycare centres is so dear to me because today, my Bill which intends to push Counties to have 47 Daycare Centers has gotten a big boost through the conversation we’ve had here,” Senator Abdullahi said.

In Kilifi, County Assembly Speaker Catherine Kenga said the “Mama Mlezi” initiative could support efforts to establish daycare services.

“‘Mama Mlezi’ initiative is a good initiative and I think Kilifi needs to walk the talk by ensuring that a Daycare Center is established,” Ms Kenga said.

Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Chibule said the county already has a proposal for a daycare centre that needs to be considered by the County Assembly.

“We have a thought Daycare Center in Kilifi, it just needs to go to County Assembly and once we get the policy in place, we will hit the road running,” Ms Chibule said.

The stakeholders are also calling for clear training and certification standards for home-based childcare providers, saying this would help improve the safety and quality of care while creating a pathway for caregivers to be recognised within the formal system.

They further want children receiving home-based care to benefit from health and nutrition programmes that are currently concentrated in formal education settings.

The meeting ended with calls for county governments to include childcare in their development plans and budgets and for communities to use public participation forums to demand resources for the sector.

The event was also attended by: Senator Hamida Kibwana (nominated), Peris Tobiko (nominated), Beth Syengo (nominated), Mariam Sheikh Omar (nominated), Consolata Wakwabubi (nominated), Tabitha Mutinda (nominated), Kilifi County Assembly Women Caucus among others.

20/09/2026

20/09/2026

𝐊𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐒𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐌𝐀

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢, 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲

The Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA) has called for urgent action over reported cases of sexual violence and teenage pregnancies involving school-going girls in Webuye and other parts of Bungoma County.

The senators condemned the incident and called for speedy investigations, perpetrators identified and affected children protected from further harm, stigma and disruption to their education.

According to nominated Senator Catherine Mumma who had stepped in for the Association’s chairperson Senator Veronica Maina during their visit to Malindi Women’s Prison, the term “pregnancy” should not be used in a manner that normalises the sexual abuse of children, noting that the circumstances surrounding the reported cases must be thoroughly investigated.

Senator Mumma said KEWOSA was concerned about the reports and had already raised the matter with the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen.

“As KEWOSA, we detest this. We are upset about this. We have the Cabinet Secretary for Interior on one of our forums, and we have told him that we are willing to actually work with his officers so that we move the investigations in that case to their logical conclusion, so that those who are culpable are actually held to account,” she said.

Senator Mumma said KEWOSA would continue following up on the matter but cautioned against interfering with ongoing investigations or prejudicing the cases involving the affected girls and their families.

“We will follow up. We will not say a lot, as you all know. Investigations must take their course. We don't want to prejudice the case for those young girls and their families, and we undertake to actually follow up the matter to ensure that the law follows its course and those who are culpable are brought to the fore,” she said.

The Senator said the reported cases were particularly troubling because they involved girls at different stages of their education and motherhood.

According to Senator Mumma, the reported 36 cases involved girls who were already teenage mothers, those who had been forced out of school and others who were pregnant but still attending classes.

She said affected children were entitled to protection and continued access to education, healthcare and justice.

“Most of the time, I want to sound this warning that these girls stand a higher chance of having been, or they are entitled to protection, education, healthcare, and fair justice,” Senator Mumma said.

She went further to call for closer cooperation among education officials, school administrations, investigators and community policing structures to ensure suspected perpetrators are identified.

“I am calling upon all the multi-sectors concerned, the education ministries, the school administration, the DCI officers, and any other stakeholder, even the policing officers, the community policing officers, to forge synergy in smoking out the perpetrators of these heinous acts,” Senator Mumma said.

In throwing her weight behind thr issue, nominated Senator Consolata Wakwabubi raised concern over reports emerging from other parts of Bungoma County, saying some parents had begun coming forward with information about pregnancies involving girls within their homes.

She cited reports from areas where parents are reportedly disclosing cases involving their daughters.

“Some schools around the place have also come out now boldly. The parents are coming out boldly to even reveal that their daughters are pregnant and they are hidden in their homes,” Senator Wakwabubi said.

She said reports that some of the pregnancies may have resulted from relatives required deeper investigation, describing the situation as a child-protection concern that could involve in**st.

“It has been realised that most of these pregnancies emanate from relatives. So I feel there is a lot of in**st that is happening in Bungoma County,” she said.

According to Senator Wakwabubi, the Bungoma County government to operationalise its rescue centre and urged other counties to strengthen similar facilities where children facing abuse can receive protection and support.

“I am calling upon the county government of Bungoma to operationalise the rescue centre that is in Bungoma County, and even other counties to emulate the same, and rationalise the safe shelters and the rescue centres to have these children there and to avoid being bullied and children stigmatised because of such acts,” she said.

The senator said affected children should not be left to deal with the consequences of abuse without adequate protection, counselling and support.

On her part, nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda also condemned the reported incidents and called for swift police action against those responsible.

“I condemn an incident in Bungoma County where school-going girls have been impregnated. Police need to move with speed and arrest the perpetrators,” Senator Mutinda said.

The senators said the reports require a coordinated response involving national and county governments, education authorities, law enforcement agencies, schools, parents and community structures.

KEWOSA has also promised to engage the Governor Kenneth Lusaka’s administration in the coming week over the reported cases and the need to strengthen protection mechanisms for children at risk.

The association said its focus would be on ensuring affected children are protected, supported and able to continue with their education, while investigations into the reported cases are allowed to proceed without interference.

The senators maintained that protecting children from sexual violence requires stronger community vigilance, functioning rescue and safe-house systems, effective investigations and a coordinated response whenever cases are reported.

19/09/2026

The Kenya Women Senators' Association (KEWOSA), led by our Chairperson, Sen. Veronica Maina, CBS, MP, warmly welcomes the Senate delegation to Kilifi County for Senate Mashinani.

During the week, KEWOSA will visit Malindi Women's Prison, Gede Primary School and Gede Special School, and the maternity ward at Malindi County Hospital, to listen, learn and stand with women and vulnerable groups.

We also call on all stakeholders, including our male colleagues, to join the fight against the triple threat of teenage pregnancy, HIV infection and gender-based violence. The recent incident in Webuye, where 36 girls at a school became pregnant, must move us to action. Protecting our girls is a duty we all share.

15/09/2026

𝐊𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐒𝐀 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲

The Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA) has finalised its programme for the upcoming Senate Mashinani engagement in Kilifi County, following a meeting held today to deliberate on the planned activities.

The programme will provide an opportunity for women Senators to engage with communities and key stakeholders in Kilifi County while bringing the work of the Senate closer to the people.

As part of the programme, KEWOSA will visit Mtangani Women Prison to engage with the women and learn more about their experiences and needs.

The Senators will also participate in an engagement with women caucuses from neighbouring counties, as well a visit to Gede Primary School and Gede Special School to engage with learners and the school community.

The Senators will also visit the maternity wing at Malindi Hospital to engage with mothers and healthcare workers and gain insights into the challenges affecting maternal healthcare.

01/09/2026

28/08/2026

𝐊𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐒𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 28𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭, 2026

Members of the Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA) are participating in a capacity-building programme on Practical AI for Modern Governance and Leadership aimed at strengthening their skills and understanding of emerging technologies in leadership.

The programme, organised by the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in collaboration with the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPST), focuses on strengthening legislative effectiveness, evidence-based decision-making, public communication, ethical leadership and responsiveness to emerging issues.

The training also provides practical tools that can enhance productivity and support parliamentarians in their legislative and leadership roles.

In attendance are KEWOSA Chairperson Senator Veronica Maina, Senator Esther Okenyuri and Hon. Naisula Lesuuda, alongside Ms. Mary Kerema, Secretary for ICT, Digital Economy and Emerging Technologies.

17/05/2026

KEWOSA STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE BRUTAL ACID ATTACK AGAINST GOSPEL ARTIST MS. RACHEL WANDETO ALLEGEDLY TARGETED OVER HER POLITICAL EXPRESSION.