Little girls are sold into marriage in Kenya to battle starvation!

Child marriage remains a critical human rights issue in Kenya, particularly in drought-prone regions like Turkana, Samburu, and parts of northern Kenya. With intensifying climate change and prolonged food insecurity, families are increasingly forced to make heartbreaking choices. One of the most distressing consequences is the rise in early marriages—especially involving young girls—as a coping mechanism to combat starvation.

Background

Kenya has endured multiple seasons of failed rains, leading to devastating droughts and chronic food shortages. According to UNICEF and Save the Children, more than 4 million people in Kenya face acute food insecurity. For impoverished families, marrying off daughters—some as young as 9 years old—offers a grim solution: it reduces the number of mouths to feed and often brings in livestock, money, or food as dowry in return.

Current Situation

In pastoralist and marginalized communities, girls are pulled out of school and married to older men, sometimes even strangers, under pressure from hunger and social norms. The practice is frequently unreported, hidden from authorities, and often carried out under the guise of tradition. Many girls suffer long-term psychological, physical, and emotional trauma, including domestic violence, early pregnancy, and loss of education.

Humanitarian Response

Humanitarian organizations such as UNICEF, Plan International, and World Vision are raising alarms and providing emergency food assistance, child protection services, and school feeding programs to help families avoid resorting to child marriage. However, the scale of the crisis continues to overwhelm local efforts.

Conclusion

The rise in child marriages in Kenya underlines the dangerous intersection of poverty, hunger, and gender inequality. Urgent, coordinated action is needed—not only to provide food aid—but to strengthen education, social protection, and legal enforcement to end this practice once and for all. Girls must be protected, empowered, and given the opportunity to grow up with dignity and choice.