Report: Majority of children are exposed to poverty

Assistant director for social development Richard Obiga speaking during the launch of the Universal child benefit fiscal space analysis report in Nairobi on February 27th 2024. The report outlines the financial resources required to scale up the Universal Child Benefit (UCB) in Kenya, explores financing strategies to generate additional resources for this expansion, and provides practical recommendations for effectively implementing these strategies. [Collins Oduor, Standard] Out of Kenya's 24 million children, only 2.6 million are cushioned against poverty, economic constraints, and other social challenges. It has emerged that social protection programs in the country currently cover only 11.8 per cent of the total child population. These details were revealed during the launch of the Universal Child Benefits (UCB) Project report. The project, piloted in three counties-Kisumu, Embu, and Kajiado-was aimed at demonstrating how a child-sensitive protection program could be implemented. The initiative was carried out by Save the Children Kenya, in partnership with the State Department of Social Protection, UNICEF, and the World Food Program. Speaking during the launch, Save the Children Country Director Pornpun Jib Rabiltossaporn highlighted that Kenya's social protection coverage remains low despite the large number of vulnerable children in need of support. Jib noted that social protection spending in Kenya remain relatively low at the average of 0.4 per cent of the GDP compared to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa which spend an average of 2.1 per cent of their GDP on social protection programs. Some of the existing social protection programs aimed at children directly or indirectly include Inua Jamii, cash transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. "While Kenya has made significant gains in extending the reach and also extending the increase of the investment on social protection coverage, we still see that this coverage still remains low," said Jib. She appealed for increased public spending of social protection with a keen focus on children. Principal Secretary for Social Protection Joseph Motari, whose speech was delivered by Director of Social Protection Jane Kitili, emphasized the need for more inclusive, child-sensitive social protection initiatives in light of the multiple challenges facing Kenyan children. Motari noted that 52 per cent of children are multi-dimensionally poor, 42 per cent ae momentarily poor, while 36.2 per cent are food poor and another 26 per cent are stranded. The UCB project was a 12-month pilot aimed at shielding children and their families from the harsh realities of pandemics, food insecurity, economic downturns, climate change, and both man-made and natural disasters. The project covered 8,300 children aged 0 to 36 months, with each child receiving Sh800 per month. Notably, the UCB model targeted all children in the selected areas, regardless of their families' socioeconomic status. While other social protection programs target disadvantaged children, especially in hard-to-reach areas, Jib pointed out that the poverty-targeting approach often excludes many children who would otherwise benefit. The UCB model, however, addresses this challenge by providing universal coverage. Jib stressed that the benefits of the UCB model far outweigh its costs, noting that for every Kenyan shilling invested, Sh2.5 are likely to be returned. She described the pilot project as successful and urged the government to progressively scale up the program to reach more children, recommending that they start with those covered by the Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) program. "UCB as a model can actually contribute to poverty reduction and also can be considered as a local economy multiplier," said Jib. PS Motari noted that a well-funded UCB can be a powerful solution for tackling these vulnerabilities such as limited access to safe water, health care, learning by ensuring consistent and predictable support to families in need and children at most risk of being left behind. "You are talking of 11 per cent in a country whose population of children is more than 50 per cent. So you can see that gap is still quite something we need to work on," He added, "This means that many eligible children, particularly those in remote or marginalized communities, are yet to benefit from any form of social protection intervention." Motari further emphasized that the current coverage gap undermines the principle of universality and risks perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of poverty, inequality, and exclusion if not addressed. This, he said, forms a strong case for establishing a UCB in Kenya.

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