Why are Kenyan girls still being forced into marriage?

By Daisy Okiring

In a remote village in Kenya’s Kajiado County, a 13-year-old girl named Naserian clutches her schoolbooks tightly, knowing they may soon be taken away from her.

Her father has arranged for her to be married off to a man three times her age. He tells her it is for her own good—marriage will bring wealth to the family, and as a girl, her education does not matter.

But Naserian dreams of a different future. She wants to become a teacher, to uplift girls like herself. She knows that once she is married, school will no longer be an option. Her childhood

Across Kenya, thousands of girls face the same fate. Despite the law prohibiting child marriage, 23% of Kenyan girls are married before they turn 18, and 4% are married before they reach 15 (UNICEF, 2023). The statistics paint a grim picture, but behind every number is a girl whose future is being erased.

Kenya’s Education Act guarantees free and compulsory schooling for every child, yet loopholes in enforcement, cultural traditions, and economic hardships continue to fuel child marriage. The law exists, but it is not being upheld.

One woman is fighting to change that. Selina Nkoile, a Nguvu Change Leader, knows what it means to defy the odds. Having grown up in a Maasai community where child marriage was the norm, she now leads the charge to end the practice. Through her advocacy, she has rescued dozens of girls, provided safe spaces for survivors, and is working to ensure that Kenya enforces its laws to protect young girls.

“We cannot keep saying ‘this is our culture’ while our girls suffer,” says Selina. “The law is clear, and it is time we enforce it.”

The fight against child marriage is not just about protecting girls from outdated traditions—it is about breaking a cycle of poverty, inequality, and lost potential. Enforcing Kenya’s Education Act is not only necessary; it is urgent.

Nguvu Change- breaking barriers for marginalized women

Selina’s fight is part of a broader initiative led by Nguvu Change, an organization that empowers women from marginalized communities to become powerful change-makers. Their work has shown that women who have personally experienced gender injustice are the best equipped to lead the fight for long-term solutions.

Selina Nkoile speaks with community elders about ending child marriage. Photo/Courtesy

Through campaigning, communication and media support, and collective-building, Nguvu Change is ensuring that local women like Selina are not just advocating for girls’ rights but shaping policies, influencing narratives, and creating sustainable change. Their ambition is to support over 1,000 emerging women leaders in marginalized communities, equipping them with the tools to fight systemic injustices—including child marriage.

“We are not just rescuing individual girls; we are fighting for systemic change,” Selina says. “We need to stop treating child marriage as an isolated problem and start seeing it as part of a larger failure to protect our girls.”

The legal gap- A law without enforcement

Kenya has made bold legislative steps in protecting children from forced marriage. The Marriage Act (2014) sets the legal marriage age at 18. The Children’s Act (2022) strengthens protections against harmful cultural practices. The Education Act (2013) guarantees every child the right to free and compulsory education.

Yet, in many rural communities, these laws are barely enforced. Police officers are often reluctant to intervene, fearing backlash from local elders. In some cases, officials are bribed to look the other way. The lack of police stations in remote areas makes reporting difficult, leaving many girls with nowhere to turn.

Birth registration is another major loophole. Many girls are born at home, without official records. This allows families to falsely claim that a 13-year-old is 18, making legal intervention nearly impossible.

The economic reality further complicates matters. In many communities, a girl’s dowry—often in the form of livestock—is seen as a financial lifeline for struggling families. With nearly 36% of Kenyans living below the poverty line (World Bank, 2023), the pressure to marry off daughters for economic gain remains high.

“I’ve seen girls as young as 12 forced into marriage because their parents couldn’t afford food,” Selina shares. “We can’t talk about ending child marriage without addressing poverty.”

Education is supposed to be the key to breaking this cycle. But what happens when girls cannot even make it to school?

Education- The strongest weapon against child marriage

Education is the single most powerful tool to prevent child marriage. Research by the World Bank shows that each additional year a girl stays in school reduces her chances of early marriage by six percentage points. Yet, in rural Kenya, thousands of girls are still dropping out before they reach secondary school.

Schoolgirls in uniform raise their hands in class. Education is the strongest weapon. Photo: The Abdul Foundation. Photo/Courtesy

The reasons are many. Some girls are forced to drop out because their families cannot afford school fees, uniforms, or basic necessities like sanitary pads. Others have to walk long distances to school, facing the threat of sexual violence along the way. The lack of girls’ boarding schools in rural areas makes it even harder for them to stay in school safely.

“We need to invest in education beyond just ‘free school,’” Selina emphasizes. “That means building more boarding facilities, providing school meals, and ensuring girls have access to menstrual hygiene products.”

Without these investments, the promise of education will remain just that—a promise.

Changing mindsets- tradition vs. the law

For many communities, child marriage is not seen as an act of harm but as a tradition. Parents believe they are securing their daughters’ futures, and community elders see marriage as a rite of passage.

Selina knows that changing laws is not enough—changing mindsets is just as important. Through Nguvu Change, she has been working with local elders, religious leaders, and fathers to shift cultural attitudes.

“You can’t just tell people to stop doing something they’ve practiced for generations. You have to engage them, educate them, and show them that keeping girls in school benefits the whole community,” she explains.

There have already been promising signs. Community awareness programs, mentorship initiatives, and media campaigns have started to shift attitudes. Some elders who once defended child marriage are now advocating against it. More fathers are supporting their daughters’ education, and local leaders are stepping up to enforce the law.

But Selina warns that change must be continuous. “We can’t afford to be complacent. This is a fight we must keep pushing.”

The way forward- Enforcing the law and protecting girls

The solution is clear. Kenya must move beyond policy statements and take real action to enforce the Education Act.

This means strengthening birth registration systems to prevent age falsification, increasing law enforcement presence in rural areas, and ensuring strict penalties for those who marry off underage girls. It means investing in boarding schools, free sanitary products, and financial incentives for families to keep their daughters in school.

International organizations like UNICEF, Plan International, and Girls Not Brides are already working to support these initiatives. But without stronger government commitment and grassroots leadership, progress will remain slow.

“Just by implementing the existing laws, we can give Kenyan girls the childhood they deserve,” Selina says.

For girls like Naserian, time is running out. Will Kenya rise to the occasion, or will another generation of girls be lost to child marriage?

The answer cannot wait.