Socio-Cultural and Socio-Economic Challenges Faced by Children Born Outside Marriage in Tana River County

Children born outside marriage face substantial challenges compared to counterparts born within marital unions, with incidents rising globally. This study examined socio-cultural and socio-economic challenges experienced by children born outside marriage in Tana River County, Kenya. The study objective was to establish the socio-cultural and socio-economic challenges faced by children born outside marriage in Tana River County. A descriptive survey design using mixed methods was adopted, with five villages randomly sampled and 690 households included in the cross-sectional survey. Key informant interviews (n=3) with community elders, in-depth interviews (n=5) with mothers, and two focus group discussions involving 8 male and 8 female community members were conducted. Data were analyzed using MS Excel for quantitative data and thematic framework methods for qualitative data. Key findings revealed severe educational exclusion, with 87% of children not attending school due to unaffordable fees, bullying, and maternal poverty, while enrolled children attended irregularly and demonstrated predominantly poor academic performance. Systematic discrimination affected 83% of children through physical punishment, verbal abuse referencing birth status, and exclusion from opportunities including bursaries and school activities. Economic disadvantage was pervasive, with only 36.8% of mothers able to support school fees, 60% of children denied land inheritance rights, and majority of mothers either unemployed or in casual employment. Maternal vulnerability was evident, with 40.3% of women becoming pregnant during adolescence, 22.8% unemployed, and 41.2% conceiving through transactional sex while 24% experienced rape or incest. The study concludes that children born outside marriage face challenges stemming from cultural stigma perceiving them as illegitimate, patriarchal inheritance systems excluding children without recognized paternal lineage, maternal economic vulnerability, and weak enforcement of legal protections. These disadvantages perpetuate intergenerational poverty, compromise health and education, cause psychological trauma, and threaten future societal development if unaddressed. The study recommends that the Directorate of Children Services should enhance comprehensive sexuality education to empower girls and women in sexual health choices, the Ministry of Education and State Department of Social Protection should ensure educational access through 100% transition policy with fee waivers and anti-discrimination measures, and county stakeholders should implement awareness campaigns about stigma's adverse effects while expanding bursary programs targeting children born outside marriage.