Child labour: what the law says and where to report it
Constitution of Kenya; Children Act; Basic Education Act · sources read 2 Oct 2026
Child labour is illegal. No one may make a child (anyone under 18) do exploitative or hazardous work, domestic servitude, or work that harms their health or gets in the way of school; employing a school-age child in work that keeps them out of school can mean a fine of up to 5 million, up to 5 years in jail, or both.
- Where
- The nearest labour officer, police station, chief or children's officer; the High Court
Steps
- Report it to the nearest authorised officer. They must take steps to get a court order that protects the child.
- Authorised officers include a labour officer, a police officer, a chief, a children's officer and a teacher.
- Anyone can also go to the High Court if a child's rights under the Children Act are violated or threatened.
Watch out
- The law sets separate work rules for children aged 13 to 16 and 16 to 18, through labour regulations; the exact kinds of work allowed are in those regulations.
- Employing a child of school age in work that keeps them out of school, or stopping them attending, is an offence: a fine of up to 5 million, up to 5 years in jail, or both.
- Using a child for begging, debt bondage or forced work is banned, whether or not anyone is paid.
Who this covers
- Every child, meaning anyone under 18.
- No one may subject a child to child labour, domestic servitude, economic exploitation, or work that is hazardous, harmful or gets in the way of school.
- Every child has a constitutional right to be protected from hazardous or exploitative labour.
- A child doing work likely to harm their health, education, or mental or moral development counts as a child in need of care and protection.
Official sources (3)
- Constitution of Kenya, 2010 new.kenyalaw.org · read 2 Oct 2026
- The Children Act, 2022 (No. 29 of 2022) childrenservices.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- The Basic Education Act, 2013 (No. 14 of 2013) parliament.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026