POLICY AND CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTRES IN KENYA: A CASE OF NAROK COUNTY

This paper discusses the policy and children's rights advocacy in early childhood center. Previously in Kenya there was no legislation that exclusively addressed the rights of the child. The children Act which came into force on 1st March 2002 domesticated the principles of the UNCRC and the African charter. This is an act of parliament that provides for the rights of children in Kenya. The children's Act was enacted for the following main reasons; to put together (consolidate) the provisions of the various laws that affected children and to give effect the provision of the UNCRC the African charter and other international instruments on the rights and welfare of the child. The act constitutes into one law the children and young person's acts, the guardianship of infants act and the adoption act. This has further been facilitated by the establishment of a children's court. The act is divided into fourteen parts dealing with various issues related to children. It is important to highlight that the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all citizens in the constitution of Kenya are not related in this act. The right of the children are based on the principles that; The best interest of the child shall be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children; The interest of the child shall also be the first and paramount consideration; The child shall be accorded an opportunity to express his opinion which shall be taken into account depending on the child's age and degree of maturity and that No child is to be subjected to discrimination on the ground of origin, sex, religion, greed, custom, language, conscience, color, birth, social, political, economic or other status race, disability, tribe Residence or local connection.