Kenya's efforts to end the institutionalisation of children separated from caregivers took a new turn when the governor of one of the nation's 47 counties became the first to exercise the powers devolved to him under the 2010 Constitution by signing the Leiden Declaration and committing Murang’a County to strengthening family-based alternative care -- a precedent the world should heed.

Millions of children throughout Africa lack the access to justice they need to realise their rights. We know what child-friendly justice looks like and how it can improve access, but one important area has been largely overlooked: the role that informal justice systems can play in realising justice for children.