Nairobi, 8th February 2022
Nairobi City County Governor H.E Ann Kananu today launched the Nairobi City County Youth Policy at Charter Hall.
The policy seeks to provide an opportunity for improving the quality of life for Nairobi youth through encouraging their participation in economic and democratic processes as well as in community and civic affairs.
The policy will also advocate for the creation of a supportive social, cultural, economic and political environment that will empower the youth to be partners on county development.
Said Governor Kananu, “This policy document is an illustration of just how capable our youth are if we truly let them be represented, participate and be associated in all spheres of life as envisaged in Article 55 and 10 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. I am convinced that this policy will serve to facilitate the youth programme in the economic and social aspects for our inclusive growth through Kenya Vision 2030, County Integrated Development Plan(CIDP), Sustainable development goals(SDGs) and other development frameworks.”
The Governor said that the document lays out the framework of engagement between the Nairobi City County Government and the Nairobi youth currently estimated at 31% of the population.
Said Governor Kananu, “The youth by their sheer numbers are an important constituency for this County. Their numbers coupled with the fact that Kenya’s and indeed the future of the county lies in their hands makes it imperative for Nairobi City County Government to engage them in the development agenda of Nairobi.”
The Governor pointed out that the Policy has been developed in a consultative and participatory manner and in line with the constitutional requirement of citizen participation and stakeholder engagements.
The policy makes various commitments that will have far reaching impacts on the participation, engagement and inclusion of Nairobi youth in its leadership, governance and development agenda.
The policy recommends that the County Government of Nairobi allocates at least 2% of its annual budget to the programs and activities within the department of youth to be implemented at the ward level.
Said Governor Kananu, “As the Governor of this great city of Nairobi, There is no greater commitment to a people than the open invitation to partner in the implementation of important programmes and projects that is crystallized in a policy or other legal frameworks. Through this policy the Nairobi City County lays the framework of engagement with Nairobi youth, and we trust that this will herald an era of partnership, solidarity and participation of our youth in the management of their own affairs”.
The Governor said that she believes that the youth of Nairobi will accept the invitation by Nairobi County and consciously and consistently play their roles as equal partners in the implementation of this policy and thus give life to the policy and consequently help the Nairobi County achieve the vision that the county has for its youth.
Nairobi County Executive Committee Member in charge of Youth affairs Ms. Janet Ouko thanked the numerous partners and donors who have walked the journey with the county to ensure the success of the policy document. She said, “it is now clear that the youth of Nairobi will get what belongs to them regardless the government of the day.”
The policy has a monitoring and evaluation framework through which Nairobi youth and stakeholders invested in the youth sector are invited to hold the county and particularly the Department of Youth Affairs in the county accountable for the implementation of youth programmes.
This accountability mechanism is not only in the programmes and activities of the department of youth Affairs but cuts across all sectors of the county since the policy also allows for mainstreaming of youth issues in all departments and sectors in the County Government.
The event was attended by several partners among them the British High Commissioner representatives and National government Ministry of ICT representatives who lauded Nairobi County Government for developing the youth Policy adding that the policy will bring transformation to the youth and community at large.
Nairobi becomes the second County to launch the Youth Policy after Makueni County.
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