Is the Use of Children in Protests and Political Actions Justified?

By Amina Faki

There’s a growing culture of child protests in Kenya; school children are increasingly being used in demonstrations.

We have seen a series of such inhuman acts take place in the country in different issues such as land grabbing,

Below is a breakdown of numerous child protest cases in the country:

In January 19, 2015, Langata Primary School children were protesting over the grabbing of their play ground by a “private developer”

Pupils from the School were at the front line of protesters pulling down a wall thrown up around their playground after it was acquired by a private developer

They held signs calling the seizure of the playground “terror against children” and Kenya “the land of shameless grabbers.” Some of the students taking part were as young as 6.

On June, 14th 2017, Kenyatta Golf Course Academy children blocked a section of Mbagathi Road. Children as young as six years were protesting against the demolition of their school.They dragged their desks and chairs into a major roadway to protest the school’s demolition.

Kenyatta Golf Course Academy school in was demolished over the weekend following a land dispute. But the young students there wanted the world to know school’s not out for them yet.

Recently, children from St. Ann Jogoo Road too their protest to the street. They were protesting about the danger that the busy road poses to the pedestrians.

School children from Mirugi Kariuki Primary, Nakuru took to the streets to protest the grabbing of their school land pic.twitter.com/qPQLWFaXTQ

— #StareheMP (@bonifacemwangi) August 2, 2016

On January 30th, 2017, Fred Matiang’i, the Education cabinet secretary said school children should also not be involved in entertaining politicians as that was wasting their precious learning time.

But this fell on deaf ears as Kilome MP Regina Nthambi initiated a jubilee party child campaign.

On 3rd April, 2017, kids from Landu primary school in Kilome constituency in Makueni County were being used by their Kilome MP, Regina Nthambi to campaign for Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party in the region.

Kilome MP Regina now using school kids to advance jubilee agenda after realising jubilee has no ground in ukambani. pic.twitter.com/4gqmr4lbyE

— Patrick Safari (@patricksafariR) April 3, 2017

Is it the responsibility of parents to protect children from these issues or to involve children in the middle of a protest that involves police action?

The pupils who were dressed in school uniform moved across the market carrying Jubilee placards and singing Jubilee slogans ‘Tuko Pamoja’.

Pupils in NRB protest road safety after their “lollipop man” was knocked down by matatu. This is how the State responds. pic.twitter.com/b2kU8zV07y

— James Smart (@jamessmat) June 14, 2017

Kenyans never cease to amaze me. You’re upset that kids were protesting instead of being ANGRY that someone grabbed their school land? Shame pic.twitter.com/ihExuHSUKc

— #StareheMP (@bonifacemwangi) May 15, 2017

The Kenyan constitution endorses the capability argument and recognizes the capacity of children form and express an opinion regarding situations affecting their everyday life.

Article 37 of the constitution stipulates that “every person” has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket and to present positions to public authorities.

Globally, the right of children to participate in matters affecting them has become increasingly recognized, and it needs to be acknowledged that children have as much to contribute to protest movements as adults.

Some of the arguments that may be used to exclude children from protests include risks to children’s physical safety, the risk that children could be manipulated and the need toprotect children from adult issues.

These, not withstanding, children may be capable of seizing issues around them and forming opinion around those issues.

Roberta Bosisio, in his paper, “Right” and “Not Right”: representations of Justice in Young People, observes that young people are social actors who possess the reasoning skill to face even complex questions of justice and moral issues with regard to situations affecting their everyday life, as well as more complex situations that are not part of their experience.

These is an issue that should be given a public importance and the extent to which children can engage in a protest not only in malicious acts.

What are the ethical implications of these tactics?