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Background

Background

The Ministry has three State Departments, namely:

1. State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action

The State Department for Gender (SDG) was established in November 2015 following a re-organization of government Ministries and was one of the two State Departments in the Ministry of Public Service and Gender, the other being the State Department for Public Service. The State Department was created from the former Ministry of Devolution and Planning to promote gender mainstreaming in national development processes and champion for the socio-economic empowerment of women. Previously, gender issues were handled under a division in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development; and as a directorate under the Ministry of Devolution and Planning.

Following the re-organization of Government Ministries though the Executive Order No. 2 of November 2023, the State Department of Gender and Affirmative Action (SDGAA) was established. The Department derives its mandate from the Constitution of Kenya in Articles 10, 27,60, 61, 81 and 100 among others. Article 10 outlines the national values and principles of governance which include equality, equity, inclusiveness and non-discrimination which provide anchorage for gender equality; and Article 27 ingrains the right to equality and freedom from discrimination.

The Mandate of the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action according to the Executive Order No.2 of 2023 is:

  • Gender Policy Management
  • Special Programmes for Women Empowerment
  • Gender Mainstreaming in Ministries/State Departments/State Agencies
  • Community Mobilization on Gender Issues
  • Domestication of International Treaties/Conventions on Gender
  • Policy and Programmes on Gender Violence
  • Affirmative Action Policy
  • Promote equity
  • Undertake a national survey on special needs
  • Mainstreaming affirmative action in Ministries/Departments/Agencies
  • Ensure compliance with affirmative action principles as envisaged in the Constitution.
2.  State Department for Culture, The Arts and Heritage

The State Department for Culture was formed in 1980, through a Presidential Directive and was charged with the responsibility of coordinating and promoting national cultural programmes. 

The State Department was then placed under the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage through the Executive Order No. 1 of April 2013. Shortly after through the Executive Order No. 2 of May 2013, the Department was placed under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Heritage and was mandated to among others advise the government on cultural matters, dissemination of cultural information, coordination and facilitate cultural exchange programmes for groups and individuals and offer technical support for cultural development programmes.

The Executive Order No. 1 of January 2023 placed the State Department into two Ministries: - The Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage. 

The Executive Order No. 2 of November 2023, created the State Department for Culture, the Arts & Heritage which is under the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage mandated to manage policies and programmes on:- 

  • National Heritage Policy and Management
  • Management of Culture Policy
  • Policy on Kenya’s Heroes and Heroines
  • Language Management Policy
  • National Archives/Public Records Management
  • Management of National Museums and Monuments
  • Historical Sites Management

The State Department is guided by the National Culture and Heritage Policy that was approved by Cabinet in 2021 whose main goals are to: -

  • To promote understanding, appreciation and respect for cultures of the people of Kenya
  • Reinforce national values, unity and pride
  • Stimulate and foster creativity to secure livelihoods
  • Strengthen national identity and celebrate cultural diversity and innovation, as well as protect and promote intellectual property of the peoples of Kenya.
  • Provides direction for sustainable development at national and county levels while promoting unity in diversity.
  • Provides the ideological and philosophical foundation for inclusive national development and guides the growth process by ensuring the participation of Kenyans in decision-making and the preservation of their cultural and natural environment for socio-economic transformation of the country.
3. State Department for Children Services

The State Department for Children Services is domiciled under the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services. The Department was created on 16th April, 2025 with CPA Carren Ageng’o as the Principal Secretary through the Executive Nomination which reorganized the Government structure.  The creation of the department gives sharp focus to child and welfare in Kenya. The Department draws its mandate from the Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, the Constitution of Kenya, the Children Act 2022 and related laws. Its overall mandate is to safeguard the rights and promote welfare of all children in Kenya.

The specific mandates as contained in the Executive order include; 

  • Administration of Family Policy and Family Protection Policies;
  • Promotion of policies to safeguard the family as the natural and fundamental unit of Kenyan society;
  • Promote children's welfare, rights, and social development;
  • Administration of policies for the protection of children from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices, all forms of female genital mutilation, defilement, all forms of violence, inhuman treatment and punishment, child pregnancies, child marriages, and hazardous or exploitative labour;
  • Enforcement of children's right to parental care and protection, which includes equal responsibility of the mother and father to provide for the child, whether they are married to each other or not;
  • In liaison with the Ministry of Health, publicize and promote guidelines on child nutrition;
  • In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, support in development of the curriculum for Early Learning, Basic Education, and Early Childhood Development Programmes;
  • In co-ordination with the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Interior and National Administration through facilitate un-interrupted access to basic and compulsory education for all children;
  • Foster partnerships to expand early learning opportunities to meet the unique developmental needs of children with special needs;
  • In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, embed child counseling services into the school support system to nurture the emotional well-being of all children;
  • Champion for media content that promotes strong family values, children welfare and traditional Kenyan values;
  • In partnership with the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) and other stakeholders, develop guidelines for regulating film and broadcast content an enforce classification standards to safeguard children from inappropriate material;
  • Provide legal and rehabilitative support for children in conflict with the law;
  • In co-ordination with the State Department for Correctional Services, develop a framework for support of children serving in borstal and other juvenile institutions;
  • Combat trafficking in persons and protect vulnerable minors;
  • Rehabilitate Street families and reintegrate them into society;
  • Oversee foster care systems for safe child placements;
  • Establish guidelines for workplace lactation stations, fostering a supportive environment for breastfeeding employees;
  • Partner with Public Benefits Organizations and other community organizations to strengthen child welfare services;p
  • Administration of the National Programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children;
  • Co-ordinate reporting obligations of Kenya's compliance with international conventions on children rights;
  • Administer the Children Act chapter 141, Laws of Kenya); and
  • Support for the administration of Matrimonial and Succession Laws and Policies.