In the decade between VACS reports, Kenya prioritized a number of policy and programmatic changes that aimed to reduce violence against children. In 2010, Kenya revised its constitution (Article 53) and strengthened the rights of children: recognizing the need for all children to be protected from abuse, and affirming that children have the right to education, nutrition, shelter, health care, and parental care. During this period, the country also saw significant social and economic progress. Kenya averaged 5.5% GDP growth since 2010, and in 2014 it became a middle-income country, signaling the availability of greater domestic resources.

Despite the promising reductions in violence, the 2019 VACS report revealed concerning trends on recent violence among adolescent ages 13-17: the prevalence of unwanted attempted sex in the last 12 months was higher in 2019 — at 9% — compared to 2010 — at 3%.

These findings underscore the importance of data disaggregated by sex and age, and that overall trends may mask risks and from specific forms of violence. Overall, these results point to progress in Kenya but also suggest the need to continue to build on efforts to better protect and prevent violence against adolescent girls, specifically.