At what age are you an adult in Kenya?
Constitution of Kenya · sources read 2 Oct 2026
You are an adult in Kenya from the day you turn 18; anyone under 18 is a child. The Constitution counts people aged 18 to 34 as youth, and anyone 60 or older as an older member of society.
- Where
- The Constitution of Kenya, Article 260
Steps
- Once you are an adult citizen, you have the right to register as a voter.
- Every adult has the right to marry, with the free consent of both people.
- Older people have the right to live in dignity, free from abuse, and to get reasonable care from their family and the State.
Watch out
- Youth ends the day you turn 35, so a 35-year-old is no longer youth under the Constitution.
- These meanings apply in the Constitution unless the context says otherwise; a specific law or programme can set its own age rules.
Who this covers
- Adult: anyone who has turned 18.
- Child: anyone who has not yet turned 18.
- Youth: anyone who has turned 18 but not yet 35.
- Older member of society: anyone who has turned 60.
Official sources (1)
- Constitution of Kenya, 2010 new.kenyalaw.org · read 2 Oct 2026