Davis Nyakundi MC

25/02/2026

For years, social workers showed up, often without a clear professional home.
Now, Kenya has changed that.

The Social Work Professionals Act, 2026 is more than legislation. It is long-overdue recognition of a profession that has quietly held communities together, in schools, hospitals, courts, NGOs, government offices, and in moments of deep human vulnerability.

Here’s what this new law means in practical terms:

🔹 A Professional Home
The Institute of Social Work Professionals (Clause 3) is now the official body mandated to regulate, guide, and safeguard the profession.

🔹 Clarity of Identity
Defined membership categories, Fellows, Registered, and Associate Members (Clause 4),bring structure, recognition, and national credibility.

🔹 Standards that Protect the Public
Registration and valid practicing certificates (Clauses 17–18) are now mandatory. Ethics, competence, and accountability are no longer optional, they are enforceable.

🔹 Quality Assurance & Growth
An Examinations Board (Clauses 15–16) ensures professional standards, while continuous learning and research strengthen practice.

🔹 Strong Governance & Discipline.
A Council and Executive Director (Clauses 6–7) provide leadership, with clear systems to uphold integrity and public trust.

This law doesn’t just regulate social work, it dignifies it.

It affirms that protecting children, strengthening families, supporting vulnerable populations, and walking with communities requires trained, accountable professionals.

Social work in Kenya now stands where it belongs:Recognized. Regulated. Respected.

Recognized. Regulated. Respected.

A defining moment for the profession.

24/02/2026

Situational Analysis (SITAN): Listening Before Acting

Recently, we engaged stakeholders in Kiambu County in a sensitization forum on the Situational Analysis (SITAN) of children in institutional care.

Before we reform systems…
Before we redesign programs…
Before we speak about transition…

We must first listen.

That is what a Situational Analysis is truly about.

Beyond the tools, questionnaires, and reports, what stood out most was the shared commitment in the room,CCI/SCI managers, social workers, children’s officers, justice actors, community representatives,all coming together to understand the purpose and process.

Behind every number is a child.
Behind every placement is a reason.
Behind every institution is a team trying to do their best within existing systems.

SITAN helps us to:
• Understand why children enter care
• Examine how long they stay
• Assess the quality of services provided
• Identify gaps in prevention and family strengthening
• Review policies, systems, and financing at county level
• Most importantly, hear directly from those who have lived the experience

Data is powerful. But data with context is transformative.

Care reform is not about closing institutions.
It is about opening opportunities for children to grow in safe, nurturing families and communities.

And that journey begins with listening.

11/02/2026

Get a first look at the KICC, the iconic home of SWSD2026. From world class facilities to it's central Nairobi location, this is where Social Work global conversations shall turn into real practice.

🫵🏾 Be in the room where it will happen

✍🏾 Register now and join us https://swsd2026.or.ke

✍🏾* for change*
✍🏾* *
✍🏾* *
✍🏾* *
✍🏾* *

11/02/2026

Phase 3 of the Legacy for Children (L4C) Kenya Program: Launch and Scaling.

On 10th February 2026, we marked a significant milestone at Abai Lodges & Spa, Kirinyaga County, with the launch and scaling of Phase 3 of the Legacy for Children (L4C) Kenya Program.

The event was honoured by Mr Shem Nyakutu, Secretary, State Department for Children Services, as Chief Guest, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening family and community-based care systems in line with national policy and legislative frameworks.

Special appreciation goes to Muthuri Joseph, L4C Kenya Lead, for his outstanding planning and coordination, ensuring a seamless and impactful launch.

We also benefited from insights shared by Guy Cave, President of the Legatum Foundation, Gene White, Senior Vice President, key national and county leaders from the State Department of Children’s Services, LIPS and CCIs representatives.

Building on the achievements of Phases 1 and 2, Phase 3 focuses on scaling impact, deepening partnerships, strengthening county-level implementation, and accelerating sustainable child welfare systems.

Childcare reform is a long-term systems transformation, and this launch reflects the collective commitment to ensuring every child grows up in a safe, nurturing family environment.

It was a privilege to serve as Master of Ceremony for this milestone occasion.

10/02/2026

L4C phase 3.
MC Diary
#

09/02/2026

Where does your value end?
Too often, workplaces measure worth by titles, achievements, or results. Leadership research and psychology show this is a flawed approach. True value isn’t earned through performance, it is inherent, and it forms the foundation for growth, resilience, and long-term influence.
Self-aware leaders understand that motivation, engagement, and high performance thrive when people feel autonomy, competence, and belonging (Deci & Ryan, 2000). When value is tied only to outcomes, people perform to protect themselves. When value is recognized and affirmed, they perform to innovate, lead, and drive results.
As leaders, the question is critical: Are we rewarding only output, or are we cultivating environments that recognize the inherent worth of those who make success possible?
Though external acknowledgment may not always come, it begins within yourself. Self-leadership means owning your worth and using it as a foundation for influence. Psychology is clear: your value never ends; it only grows when it is recognized.

Davis Nyakundi MC

21/01/2026

Before the results, the recognition, and the visible wins, there were people who believed.

Mentors, colleagues, teachers, and peers who spoke encouragement, offered correction, and saw potential long before it was evident. Growth rarely happens in isolation.

Gratitude keeps us grounded. It reminds us that success is not only about how far we’ve come, but also about who walked with us along the way.

As we rise, may we remember to speak to the potential in others, just as someone once spoke to the winner in us.

is never by chance.

20/01/2026

Ernest Hemingway once wrote: "The hardest lesson I’ve had to learn as an adult is the relentless need to keep going, no matter how shattered I feel inside."

This truth is both raw and universal. Life doesn’t pause when our hearts are heavy, our minds are fractured, or our spirits feel like they’re unraveling. It keeps moving—unrelenting, unapologetic—demanding that we move with it. There’s no time to stop, no pause for repair, no moment of stillness where we can gently piece ourselves back together. The world doesn’t wait, even when we need it to.

What makes this even harder is that no one really prepares us for it. As children, we grow up on a steady diet of stories filled with happy endings, tales of redemption and triumph where everything always falls into place. But adulthood strips away those comforting narratives. Instead, it reveals a harsh truth: survival isn’t glamorous or inspiring most of the time. It’s wearing a mask of strength when you’re falling apart inside. It’s showing up when all you want is to retreat. It’s choosing to move forward, step by painful step, when your heart begs for rest.

And yet, we endure. That’s the miracle of being human—we endure. Somewhere in the depths of our pain, we find reserves of strength we didn’t know we possessed. We learn to hold space for ourselves, to be the comfort we crave, to whisper words of hope when no one else does. Over time, we realize that resilience isn’t loud or grandiose; it’s a quiet defiance, a refusal to let life’s weight crush us entirely.

Yes, it’s messy. Yes, it’s exhausting. And yes, there are days when it feels almost impossible to take another step. But even then, we move forward. Each tiny step is proof of our resilience, a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we’re still fighting, still refusing to give up. That fight—that courage—is the quiet miracle of survival.

What’s the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn as an adult, and how has it shaped who you are today?

19/01/2026

Even the snail leaves a mark.

Life isn’t always fair. Progress isn’t always fast.
But showing up, adapting, and refusing to quit still counts.

I deeply respect anyone who keeps going,no matter how hard it gets.
No excuses. No comfort. Just resilience.

is never by chance.

19/01/2026