Kenya

Acknowledgments: Gidraph Gachunga Wairire, Associate Professor, University of Nairobi

“Social work in the Kenyan situation existed even before the country got independence from the British in the year 1963. However, the type of social work that was there prior to independence is not what we call professional social work per se. The kind of social work that was that of many disciplines but it was geared towards orienting individuals, and building their capacity so that they can actually come and work for people who are in need but of course with the interests of serving the colonisers who were there at that time”, (Wairire, 2021).

  • Kenyan social work started with household heads, village elders and rika (age mentors): Since time immemorial, Kenyan society had ways to ensure social functioning, and these exist today although they were impacted by colonisation. Commenting on the traditional version of social work in Kenya, Wairire (2014, p. 94) said “In pre-colonial times, social support mechanisms in Kenya were embedded in the sociocultural practices of different communities. Social responsibilities were clearly defined for different community members through traditional socialisation. Individuals with different needs requiring social interventions were, therefore, helped at the community and individual levels. … household heads and village elders served many of the roles which modern social workers play today, particularly with regard to the enhancement of the social functioning of individuals in the society. Heads and mentors of age groups locally known as rika equally played significant roles that helped an individual or group to manage problems of living”.
  • Missionary organisations or charities created by  colonial settlers or educated local people joined families and communities in providing social work. One of these was the Jeanes School in Kabete established in 1925  to train village guides.
  • The colonial government joined the provision of social services focusing on problems that were prevalent in white communities, and those that could help maintain social worder such as juvenile delinquency, destitution and other urban problems. Government employed people from different disciplines to do welfare related work.
  • 1946 – The Jeanes School in Kabete trained social welfare workers (SWWs), later to become community development assistants – CDAs. The School also trained  farming, leadership, crafts and domestic work.
  • 1960 – Kenya National Association of Social Workers (KNASW) was formed for policy influencing, advocacy and capacity building
  • 1962 – Professional social work started in 1962, and this happened through the establishment of the Kenya-Israel School of Social Work. The Kenyan government was given funding by the government of Israel to build workforce within the social development sector to meet the social welfare needs of independent Kenya were adequately met.
  • Lates 60s to early 1970s – training relocated to a government institution called the Kenya Institute of Public Administration in Kabete that offered training at diploma level. Professional started at this time. Professional social work means a (1) sound knowledge base, (2) well trained, (3) well defined code of ethics, and a (4) well-defined area of social responsibility.
  • 1976 – first training at degree level at University of Nairobi (UoN), a bachelor of social work. The graduates did wonders in the social services sector and training continued. Universities and training institutions increased.
  • 1990s – A diploma in social work and social development was introduced at UoN
  • 2019 – social work educators have formed an association for Association of Social Work  Educators in Kenya to support promote education, research and publish and networking in Kenya, east Africa and Africa.
  • Growth of postgraduate education has been slow but there are now two universities offering postgraduate training including PHD. Growth has been impacted by bureaucracy of training institutions among other factors.

“Professional social work means a people with a  sound knowledge base, people who are well trained both in practice and theory, people who have a well-defined code of ethics, and people with a well-defined area of social responsibility”, (Wairire, 2021).

  • Social Work Educationl Institutions (SWEIS)
    • University of Nairobi
    • Moi University
    • Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
    • South Eastern Kenya University
    • Maasai Mara University
    • Kibabii University College
    • St. Pauls University, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Catholic University of Eastern Africa (private)
    • Daystar University (private)
    • Government Training Institute in Embu (diploma)
    • Kobujoi Development Training Institute (diploma)
    • Several private institutions offering diplomas

References

Wairire, G. G. (2021). Biography of African social work. Interview, 22 March 2021. African Social Work Network (ASWN), Available at https://africasocialwork.net/motsi/biography-of-african-social-work/

Wairire, G. G. (2014). The State of Social Work Education and Practice in Kenya. In Helmut Spitzer, Janestic M. Twikirize and Gidraph G. Wairire (Editors), Professional Social Work in East Africa Towards Social Development, Poverty Reduction and Gender Equality, 93 – 107. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.

Roles of a professional body or association of social workers

  • Creating a code of ethics relevant to Africa: To create a code of ethics guided by African values that have been used to provide social services since time immemorial.
  • Societal recognition: make social work known in families and communities including what social work is in local language, the roles of social workers and how the complement not replace or compete with the roles of families and communities. Presently, in most African communities, social work is not understood and at times it is hated because of its focus on western ideas, knowledge, philosophy, theories, methods and literature.
  • Creating a local definition of social work: to help social work being understood and appreciated. Definitions in local languages will be more useful.
  • Creating relevance: making social work in Africa more developmental to enable it to respond to the social issues, challenges and problems on the continent. Social work has to respond to mass poverty in a developmental not remedial way.
  • Professional recognition: To raise social work to the level of other professions, and to give social workers respect and recognition of their service.
  • Professional regulation: Ensure that social workers follow ethical principles that make them accountable for any professional misconduct, breach of ethics or confidentiality.
  • Professional standards: To oversee social worker’s performance, attitude towards families, communities, peers, profession and the society. This builds trust and ensures credibility of social work.
  • Training monitoring: To monitor social work training and fieldwork.
  • Produce literature: To research, write and publish relevant literature for social work training and fieldwork.
  • Advocacy: To advocate for social justice and social services.
  • Continuous training: To lead continuous professional development (CPD) of social workers and all people providing social services. This is important especially for social workers trained in the colonial period, those trained using colonial syllabus or those trained outside Africa.
  • Supporting and empowering indigenous services: To support families and communities in their roles of providing social services and not disempower them.
  • Trade unionism: Act as the trade union of social workers to represent their interests and labour rights as workers, entrepreneurs, volunteers and social innovators.
  • Consumerism: protect families, communities and employers from poor services from social workers, receiving complaints and dealing with them.
  • Collaboration with other associations: Work and collaborate with other professional bodies in the country, in the region, in Africa and globally.
  • Policy work: Creating policies or alternative policies to advance social development and to scrutinize existing policies of the government.
  • Recognising social workers: Celebrate social workers through national social work day, global social work day and providing awards to social workers, students, academics and social work organisations.
  • Networking: providing opportunities for social workers to network, share experiences and listen to others through indaba, conference, webinar, newsletters, journals, websites, social media e.g. groups of Facebook or WhatsApp, dinner etc
  • Decolonising: To decolonise social work to make it relevant to Africa communities, this work involves, among others
    • Using African philosophy, including values, ethics, theories, models etc
    • Using African ethics and removing colonial ethics
    • Using African literature and removing colonial literature
    • Using African academics and replacing non-African academics
    • Using a home grown syllabus, and replace colonial syllabus – in the process avoid brain drain
    • Using and valuing African methods, techniques and strategies of social work  and not non-African methods
    • Valuing African history of social work and Africans who have contributed to that history
    • Contributing African knowledge and methods to global social work and not just receiving global knowledge without scrutiny
    • To educate families, communities, organisations and government about how to remove colonial practices, methods, knowledge etc from the social work services that they provide
    • Generally, make African social work more developmental in approach so that the profession becomes relevant to our families, communities, organisations and government

Please provide additional information about social services and social work in this country

Use the form below to add details about this country. The following details can be added: names of social work training institutions, history of social work, details of founders or prominent people in social work and names of social work association or council.