By James Mutua
The spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Tessie Musalia, has called for stronger collaboration between the government, civil society and the private sector to support vulnerable children across the country.
Tessie spoke in Mombasa during the annual Wemathon held at the Butterfly Pavilion Forest Trail and organised by the Wema Centre to support healthcare services for street-connected children.
The event brought together hundreds of participants from different walks of life and featured running, walking, cycling and Zumba dance competitions aimed at raising funds for the establishment of a clinic at the centre. The proposed facility will provide medical services to street children and vulnerable families.
Addressing participants, Mrs Musalia affirmed that children’s rights in Kenya are protected under the Constitution and various legislations. She cited Article 53 of the Bill of Rights, which guarantees every child fundamental rights and freedoms aimed at safeguarding their dignity and future.
She noted that the government has taken steps to strengthen child protection systems through the publication of the Public Finance Management Fund Child Welfare Regulations, which are intended to establish the Children Welfare Fund.
“It is therefore encouraging to see institutions such as the Wema Centre living out these principles every single day through their commitment to rescuing, rehabilitating, educating and reintegrating children back into society,” said Mrs Musalia.
She lauded the organisation for restoring dignity, hope and opportunities to children living in difficult circumstances, saying its work goes beyond service delivery.
“It reminds us that protecting children is not the sole responsibility of the government. It is a collective responsibility shared by families, communities and institutions,” she added.
On Friday, Mrs Musalia’s Ushiriki Wema organisation, in partnership with the government, Equity Afya and the Wema Centre, facilitated access to various Huduma Centre and healthcare services for children from the centre and surrounding communities.
“At the heart of this partnership is one single truth: no single organisation can meet the needs of our children alone. When we come together, we can reach further, serve better and restore dignity where it is needed most,” she stated.
She added that meaningful partnerships between the government, private sector and civil society are essential in improving the well-being of vulnerable children and ensuring sustainable support systems.
Mrs Musalia further emphasised that collaboration remains key to growth, innovation and sustainability, enabling organisations to achieve greater impact collectively than they would individually.
