World Vision Kenya Unveils 2026–2030 Strategy to Reach 13.3 Million Vulnerable Children Across 33 Counties

World Vision Kenya Unveils 2026–2030 Strategy to Reach 13.3 Million Vulnerable Children Across 33 Counties

Dr. David Githanga, Board Chair of World Vision Kenya, addresses a forum during the launch of the organisation’s 2026–2030 National Strategy, outlining an ambitious plan to reach 13.3 million vulnerable children across 33 counties.

By Jeff Oyugi.

Nairobi - February 9, 2026.

World Vision Kenya has launched its 2026–2030 National Strategy alongside a new Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Business Plan, setting out an ambitious five-year roadmap aimed at improving the well-being of the country’s most vulnerable children through resilience building, inclusive development and strengthened child protection systems.

The strategy was unveiled at a high-level stakeholder forum in Nairobi attended by government officials, development partners, faith leaders and civil society representatives. It outlines plans to reach 13.3 million children across 33 counties through a combination of direct programming, strategic partnerships and evidence-based advocacy. Priority will be given to children living in extreme poverty, children with disabilities and those affected by climate shocks, violence and social exclusion.

World Vision Kenya Board Chairperson David Githanga said the new strategy reflects a deliberate shift from short-term, project-based interventions to long-term systems that safeguard children and strengthen communities. He noted that the organisation’s focus over the next five years will be on addressing root causes of vulnerability while building sustainable structures that can endure beyond individual programmes. “This strategy is about moving from short-term fixes to lasting systems that protect children and strengthen communities, particularly those living in extreme poverty and children with disabilities,” Githanga said.

The 2026–2030 plan builds on the gains made under World Vision Kenya’s 2021–2025 strategy, during which the organisation invested about USD 432 million and reached more than 4.5 million people across 37 counties, including 2.6 million children directly. Over the five-year period, 1.27 million children were engaged in initiatives aimed at ending violence against children, while more than 202,000 parents and caregivers were trained in positive parenting approaches.

Other reported achievements include support to nearly one million children through spiritual nurture programmes and a significant reduction in reported violence against children in programme areas, from 42 per cent to 28 per cent. Awareness of child protection mechanisms also improved, with the proportion of children who know where to report abuse increasing from 43.8 per cent to 68.8 per cent. In addition, the share of faith leaders actively taking action for child well-being rose from 67 per cent to 92.6 per cent. Through advocacy and policy engagement, World Vision Kenya says it reached an additional 9.4 million children by contributing to stronger child protection systems and policies at national and county levels.

World Vision Kenya National Director Gilbert Kamanga said the results from the previous strategy demonstrate the impact that coordinated action can achieve. He said the new plan responds to emerging risks such as climate change and economic pressures while scaling up interventions that have proven effective. “These results show what is possible when communities, leaders and partners work together to put children first. The new strategy builds on this foundation while responding to new and evolving challenges,” Kamanga said.

The organisation noted that Kenya’s development landscape continues to shift, shaped by climate change, demographic trends, economic pressures and widening inequality. Against this backdrop, the 2026–2030 strategy aligns with Kenya Vision 2030, County Integrated Development Plans and the Sustainable Development Goals, while remaining grounded in the lived realities of vulnerable communities.

The strategy is anchored on three integrated development priorities, resilience building and climate action, water, sanitation, hygiene and health and child protection, participation and access to education. Under the resilience and climate pillar, World Vision Kenya plans to strengthen household and community resilience through climate-smart agriculture, economic empowerment initiatives, natural resource restoration and disaster risk management, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions that are most exposed to climate shocks.

A central component of the strategy is the WASH Business Plan, dubbed Mapping the Blue Thread, which sets out how the organisation will deliver adaptive water, sanitation and hygiene solutions between 2026 and 2030. The plan aims to reach 2.27 million children with direct WASH services by 2030 and expand access to safe water for more than 1.2 million people in 18 counties through innovation, partnerships and systems strengthening.

World Vision Kenya said it will move beyond traditional infrastructure delivery models by developing Safe, Accessible, Functional, Equitable and Resilient water systems, targeting functionality rates of more than 90 per cent through professionalised maintenance and digital monitoring. In arid and semi-arid counties, solar-powered water systems and rainwater harvesting technologies will be integrated to ensure reliability even during prolonged droughts and climate-related disruptions.

To address sanitation challenges while stimulating local economies, the organisation plans to establish more than 15 WASH Business Centers across the country. These community-based hubs will act as one-stop shops offering sanitation products such as latrine slabs, soap and water tanks, alongside technical services including construction. The initiative is expected to create local jobs while improving access to sustainable sanitation solutions.

The third pillar of the strategy focuses on strengthening child protection systems, preventing violence against children, improving access to quality education and promoting meaningful participation of children and young people in decisions that affect their lives. Over the next five years, World Vision Kenya will prioritise reaching 3.04 million children living in extreme poverty, more than 343,000 children with disabilities, and children living in fragile contexts, including arid and semi-arid regions and urban informal settlements.

Implementation of the strategy will be delivered through 43 Area Programmes across the country, working closely with county governments and local partners to support sustainable, community-led solutions. Gender equity will remain central, with women and girls expected to account for about 54 per cent of those reached.

World Vision Kenya emphasised that lasting change for children will require strong partnerships and shared responsibility. Kamanga said no single organisation can address the complex challenges facing Kenyan children alone, calling on government, development partners, faith leaders and communities to work together. Despite Kenya’s steady economic growth, he noted that 47 per cent of children still experience multidimensional poverty, with 1.1 million children malnourished and 2.8 million out of school, while recurrent droughts and floods displace an estimated 300,000 children each year.

“Our ambition is not just to deliver services, but to strengthen systems and empower communities so that progress is sustainable,” Kamanga said. “When a child turns on a tap in 2030, the water should be there, it should be safe, and it should last.”