Speaking at the official opening of the Employment and Labour Relations Court Annual Symposium (ELRASE III), Ms. Jacqueline Mugo, Executive Director and CEO of the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), emphasized the damaging impact of child labour—not only on the lives of the children involved but also on the future of work and the economy at large.
She highlighted FKE's initiatives in fighting child labour from advocacy to the “Adopt a School” program, which supports education by building classrooms and providing facilities like lockers to help keep children in school. Ms. Mugo also called for the formalization of the informal sector, stressing that many cases of child labour occur in informal settings where regulations are lacking .
FKE recognizes that child labour is both a social and economic issue. When children miss out on education, their full potential is lost, limiting their future opportunities and impacting the broader workforce.
While FKE members have been able to eliminate child labour within their businesses, there have been challenges in the supply chains. To address this, FKE through the ACCELAfrica Project, will focus on tackling child labour in the supply chains, focusing on the tea and coffee sectors. The initiative will involve community education, training of field officers, and setting up systems for curbing child labour and enhancing accountability.