Petition: Protect Children’s Dignity

On 25 March 2026, a female Grade 10 student visiting the Kenyan Senate under the School Voluntary Service Scheme was publicly humiliated and objectified by UDA Nominated Senator, Karen Nyamu, during an open Senate session before the full House. A child who entered Parliament to learn about leadership and democracy instead had her dignity violated in the country’s highest legislative chamber by a state officer entrusted to uphold and protect the rights of children. The incident represents not only a serious abuse of power but a troubling disregard for the constitutional obligation to safeguard the dignity and best interests of every child.

What is the problem?

The actions of Senator Karen Nyamu raise serious constitutional, legal, and ethical concerns about the treatment of children within public institutions and the conduct expected of state officers. The Kenyan Senate is a national institution meant to model leadership, integrity, and respect for constitutional values. Instead, a minor participating in a civic education programme was exposed to degrading and objectifying remarks in an open parliamentary session, creating an environment of humiliation rather than learning and empowerment. Such conduct risks discouraging young people from engaging with democratic institutions and undermines public confidence in Parliament as a safe and respectful space for civic participation.

Kenya’s Constitution provides clear protections that were violated by this conduct. Article 28 guarantees every person the inherent right to dignity, while Article 53 protects every child from abuse, inhumane treatment, and any form of degrading conduct. Article 53(2) further establishes that the best interests of the child are of paramount importance in every matter concerning children. These protections are not optional moral standards; they are binding constitutional obligations that apply fully to state officers. Additionally, Articles 73 and 75 require public officers to exercise authority in a manner that upholds public trust, brings honour to the nation, and protects the dignity of the offices they hold. Conduct that humiliates a child in a public institution fundamentally contradicts these obligations.

The incident also places Kenya in breach of its international human rights commitments, including obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. These instruments require states and public institutions to ensure that educational and civic spaces are free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and degrading treatment. Equally concerning was the senator’s apparent disavowal of the apology directed by the Speaker, which further weakened accountability and demonstrated disregard for the seriousness of the harm caused. This matter is therefore not simply about offensive remarks, but about the failure of leadership, abuse of public office, and the urgent need to reaffirm that the dignity and protection of children must be respected at all times, especially within Kenya’s highest law-making institutions.

What can you do to help?

Sign the petition to demand that the United Democratic Alliance Secretary General immediately invoke disciplinary proceedings against Karen Nyamu for conduct that violated the dignity and rights of a child. We further call for a formal public censure unequivocally condemning the senator’s remarks, and for the urgent strengthening and enforcement of a binding code of conduct that prohibits the objectification, humiliation, or sexualisation of children within all public and political spaces.