Phoebe Asiyo remembered for her devotion to vulnerable Children's Welfare

By Carren Ageng'o 

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Phoebe Muga Asiyo. At the State Department for Children Services, we honour her remarkable life, one devoted to the wellbeing of Kenya’s children, especially the most vulnerable of them, whom she served with untiring passion and commitment. 

We celebrate a life well lived. Dr. Asiyo stands as a towering figure in the history of child care, protection, and welfare in Kenya. 

At a time when our young nation was grappling with complex socioeconomic challenges, Mama Phoebe brought forward transformative approaches to the care and protection of children and families. 

Her leadership was visionary, anchored in compassion, and guided by an unyielding commitment to social justice. Appointed in 1969 as the second Chief Executive Officer of the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK), succeeding the late Mama Pamela Mboya, Dr. Asiyo oversaw a decade of groundbreaking progress. 

Under her leadership (1969–1980), the Society operationalized key legislative frameworks including the Adoption Act (Cap. 143), the Infants and Guardianship of Infants Act (Cap. 144), and the Children and Young Persons Act (Cap. 141). 

Her contributions extended beyond legislation. Representing CWSK, she served as a member of the Advisory Council on Children and Young Persons chaired by Chief Justice M.K. Mwendwa, and the Committee on Adoption chaired by the late Sir Humphrey Slade. 

She was also a member of the 1973 Presidential Commission on the Law of Adoption, also chaired by Sir Humphrey Slade. 

Dr. Asiyo was instrumental in establishing Temporary Places of Safety for children in Kanduyi and Isiolo, and in modernising facilities in Nakuru, Embu, Kisii, and Mombasa—creating dignified and protective environments for vulnerable children. 

A strong advocate for community- and family-based care, she promoted domestic adoptions and took firm steps to ensure there was no institutionalization of children. 

She enforced discipline in institutional care by holding officers accountable for overstaying children in facilities, championing instead for timely placements through foster care and adoption. 

In every committee she served, she was a relentless advocate for increased funding for child welfare. Her impact is not only recorded in reports and official records but lives on in the hearts of those she mentored and inspired. Many of the reforms she championed have since become pillars of our child protection system. Her legacy also includes the professionalisation of child welfare services in Kenya. 

Recognising the need for trained personnel, she supported the training of social workers— then referred to as 'approved officers'—at the Kenya Institute of Administration (now the Kenya School of Government), and saw to the gazettement of these officers to ensure professionalism, accountability, and the safeguarding of children’s rights. 

Above all, Dr. Asiyo will be remembered for her unwavering advocacy for the best interests of the Kenyan child. Her legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of Kenya’s child protection framework. 

Through her bold vision and tireless dedication, she has left an enduring mark on generations of children and families. We honour her memory and rededicate ourselves to advancing the work she so nobly began. 

May her soul rest in eternal peace.