By Dorothy Musyoka
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has called for urgent reforms to protect children from evolving digital threats, during the second Coast Region Child Justice Summit held at the Kenya School of Government, Mombasa.
The ODPP delegation, led by Acting Coast Regional Coordinator Karneal Nyawinda, actively participated in critical discussions focusing on the intersection of child protection and technology. Alongside Ms. Nyawinda were Principal Prosecution Counsel Vallerie Ongeti and Prosecution Counsel Biasha Khalifa, who contributed to key conversations on the impact of cyberspace on child justice.
According to the ODPP Ms. Ongeti underscored the need for stronger parental and community involvement in safeguarding children online.
She cited persistent challenges in prosecuting digital-age crimes such as cyberbullying, child pornography, and online exploitation.
She emphasized the urgent need to invest in digital forensics and develop child-sensitive virtual procedures, calling for capacity building among prosecutors, investigators, and judicial officers.
“She called for enhanced digital forensics and child-sensitive virtual procedures, noting that frontline justice actors need urgent upskilling,” noted the ODPP.
Delivering the keynote address, Lady Justice Teresia Mumbua Matheka stressed the urgency of adapting Kenya’s justice systems to meet the realities of the digital age.
“Lady Justice Teresia Mumbua Matheka, in a keynote, urged swift reforms to address digital-era risks to child justice,” stated the ODPP.
The summit concluded with a joint commitment from all stakeholders to prioritize child safety in the fast-changing digital landscape, pledging to collaborate on legal, policy, and technological solutions that uphold children’s rights in and outside the courtroom.
Themed “Child Justice in a Digital Age,” the summit brought together justice stakeholders, including the Judiciary, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), civil society, academia, and children.
The event was jointly organized by the Tononoka Children’s Court Users Committee and the University of Nairobi, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union (EU).