Daystar University wins KES 17.5 million grant for national study on Child Labour in Kenya

[Nairobi: 14th May 2026] Daystar University, has competitively won a landmark KES 17.5 million grant to undertake a national study on Child Labour in Kenya.

For the next five months, Daystar University will be rolling out the nationwide study, covering all 47 counties, to generate evidence that can inform policy, strengthen child protection systems, and guide future interventions addressing child labour and its worst forms in Kenya.

The study will be undertaken in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on behalf of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as the direct client, and the State Department for Children Services.

The research project team is led by Prof. Laban P. Ayiro, the Vice-Chancellor of Daystar University and a Professor of Research Methods, as the Principal Investigator (PI). Other project team members include Dr. Martin Opondo Oloo, the Associate Dean, Daystar University School of Law who is the legal expert, Dr. Roseline Olumbe, Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Policy and Development Studies, as the child protection expert, and Mr. Samuel Munyuwiny, a Daystar University PhD Student who is also the CEO for Africa Institute of Children Studies and an Adjunct Lecturer in the Institute of Policy and Development Studies, Daystar University.  Dr. Martin Oloo and Dr. Roseline Olumbe are Co-Principal Investigators for the project.   

Announcing the grant, the Director of Research, Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (DRICE) Dr. Caroline Ayuya-Muaka lauded the grant as a demonstration of the power of visionary leadership, multidisciplinary scholarship, doctoral talent, and strategic collaboration in addressing pressing national challenges.

"Undertaking such a high-stakes consultancy affirms the growing stature of Daystar University as a trusted partner in high-impact, policy-relevant research," observed Dr. Ayuya-Muaka,

She noted that the grant further reflects Daystar University’s commitment to research that advances justice, informs public policy, and transforms society.