Integrating Artificial Intelligence, ICT and Innovation for Climate-Resilient Child Protection Systems in Kenya
Abstract
Climate change continues to undermine child well-being in Kenya by intensifying droughts, floods, and related environmental shocks. These recurring crises erode social and economic stability, disrupt access to essential services, and heighten children’s exposure to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Traditional child protection systems in Kenya remain fragmented and reactive, unable to cope effectively with the growing frequency of climate-related emergencies. This paper examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and innovation can collectively enhance the resilience and responsiveness of child protection systems. Anchored in the Socio-Technical Systems Theory, the study synthesizes empirical findings from Kenya and comparable African contexts to evaluate how AI-driven analytics, ICT-enabled coordination, and context-specific innovation can reinforce prevention, preparedness, and response capacities. Case examples such as Kenya’s CPIMS+, RapidPro, and Ushahidi are examined to illustrate integration pathways. The findings highlight that successful implementation depends not only on technology but also on strong institutional alignment, ethical data governance, and sustained investment. The study concludes that AI-driven predictive analytics can transform child protection from emergency response to preventive, data-informed systems, that ethical governance and transparent data management are non-negotiable prerequisites, and that long-term sustainability depends on embedding initiatives within domestic funding structures rather than donor-driven projects. The study recommends that Kenya should establish a national child protection data hub integrating climate and social protection data, should develop AI ethics guidelines tailored to children's rights with independent oversight mechanisms, should invest in capacity development through Child Protection Innovation Labs, and should integrate AI, ICT, and innovation initiatives into national budget allocations to ensure domestic ownership. The paper concludes that when technology is combined with institutional alignment, ethical safeguards, and social participation, Kenya's child protection system can evolve into a model of climate resilience and digital inclusion for vulnerable children.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, ICT, Innovation, Climate-Resilient, Child Protection Systems, Kenya
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