Open Letter to The Parliament of Kenya

Care Work Is Valuable Work

Dear Honourable Members of Parliament,

Let us begin with a question: Who is doing Kenya’s most important—and most invisible—job?

It’s not a CEO. Not a high-ranking official. Not even the powerbroker behind closed doors.

It’s the woman boiling water over firewood. The mother tending to a sick child while stirring ugali. It’s the daughter washing her father's clothes, cleaning the house, and nursing the baby— all for free.

It’s care work. Unpaid. Unseen. Unacknowledged. And overwhelmingly done by women.

The Care Crisis

Across Kenya, women shoulder the lion’s share of care responsibilities, often without support or recognition. This invisible labour sustains families, communities, and the economy. Yet it remains excluded from national statistics or public policy.

According to the 2021 Time Use Survey, women in Kenya spend 4.6 times more time on unpaid domestic and care work than men. This imbalance limits women’s participation in paid employment, education and leadership. It is not just a gender issue—it is a structural barrier to Kenya’s socio-economic development.

Why It Matters Now

We must urgently rethink what—and who—we consider ‘workers.’ Care work is work. Failing to recognize it not only reinforces inequality but also undermines our economy.

According to the Kenya National Care Needs Assessment report (UN Women, 2022), the care sector contributed 6.8 percent of GDP as of 2021.

Honouring all forms of labour means accounting for those who work the longest hours, under the harshest conditions, and often without a wage.

The Solution: A Policy Ready for Action

We urge Parliament to pass the Kenya National Care Policy—a long-overdue framework developed through public consultation and expert review.

This policy recognizes care work as foundational to the economy and outlines practical measures to support care workers and redistribute responsibilities more fairly.

Its key provisions include:

· Establishing affordable and accessible childcare and eldercare services

· Introducing flexible work policies and parental leave

· Expanding access to time-saving infrastructure like clean water and transport

· Promoting equitable sharing of care duties between men and women

· Recognizing and compensating unpaid care work where appropriate

These are not radical demands. They are sensible steps toward a more equitable and productive society.

What We Are Asking

We are calling on you to:

· Pass the Kenya National Care Policy without further delay

· Allocate the necessary funding and resources to implement it effectively

· Involve care workers and communities in its rollout and evaluation

It is about honouring the labour that makes all other work possible.

Who Must Act Now

To the women Members of Parliament: your leadership on this issue is crucial.

To all MPs: your silence will be remembered—but so will your courage.

To the public: Stand with us. Endorse this letter. Share your stories. Demand action from your elected leaders.

Sincerely, A Woman Who Is Tired, but Not Silent

Download the open letter as a PDF.