Juvenile Delinquency: A Legacy of Developmental Logic of Kenyan Government

The traditional society in Kenya had well established socio-economic and political structures that ensured the welfare of all children. As such, cases of juvenile delinquency were negligible. Since the colonial era, through the five decades after independence, the socio-economic and political designs for development have marginalized young persons in the society. This spiral of marginalization is due to policies that have increasingly created fertile grounds for breeding juvenile delinquency. This paper explored the pervasive development policies and the consequent lifestyle trajectories for the Kenyan people that have led to exclusion of children, and an ever-increasing number of juvenile delinquents. The paper explored juvenile delinquency visa-a-visa development in different eras of Kenyan history. The paper takes on an analytical point of view to highlight influence of government policies on juvenile delinquency. The paper focused on the pre-colonial traditional socio-economic and political setting, colonial government policies/modernity, and post-colonial government policies and their influence on juvenile delinquency. In examining government policies, development and juvenile delinquency, the paper highlighted the challenges and failures of the government and the influence on juvenile delinquency. The paper ends with recommendations on institutions and policies on approaches in handling juvenile delinquency in Kenya.