The Sixth National Early Childhood Development (ECD) Stakeholders’ Conference concluded in Garissa with a strong and unified call to embed child-centered policies into Kenya’s national and county development agendas.
Known as the Garissa Declaration, the call to action demands urgent and collective action from state and non-state actors, urging them to prioritize the rights and well-being of children through inclusive, accountable, and culturally responsive governance.
Held at Palm Oasis Resort in Garissa County, the conference emphasized the need for the Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy and the Children Act, 2022 to guide the delivery of services across all levels.
Delegates committed to a whole-of-society, multi-sectoral approach that places children at the center of decision-making and public service, ensuring that vulnerable populations, including children with disabilities, those in refugee camps, informal settlements, rural communities, emergencies, and even prisons, are not left behind.
Participants acknowledged persistent challenges, especially around early childcare, nutrition, education, and protection.
The Frontier Counties Development Council’s 2025 Baseline Survey revealed alarming disparities: one in eight children across its 10 counties are not meeting developmental milestones, just 9.1% of households have adequate dietary diversity, and 78% suffer from food insecurity.
These figures paint a grim picture of regional inequality, underscoring the urgent need for targeted investment in ECD.
The Garissa Call to Action outlined the need for increased and sustained ECD investment.
While studies show that targeted ECD spending for children aged 0-5 can reduce child poverty from 47% to 30% within four years, Kenya’s current expenditure remains critically low at just KSh 10,000 per child, significantly below the regional average of KSh 18,000.
The conference emphasized the necessity of ring-fencing ECD funding in national and county budgets, ensuring transparency and impact through annexes and performance-linked disbursement mechanisms.
Delegates proposed concrete steps to strengthen ECD systems, including enhanced nutrition financing, integration of play-based learning, improved data systems, and the appointment of County ECD Commissioners to oversee local implementation and coordination.
They also called for inclusive early learning practices tailored to pastoralist communities and stronger child protection systems across institutions and communities.