Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has reaffirmed his commitment to implementing the resolutions from the Nyeri Youth Summit 2025, describing them as the most viable pathway to empowering young people in the county.
Speaking while presiding over a review meeting to assess progress made since the summit held on December 10, 2025, Kahiga said the outcomes of the forum remained relevant and actionable.
He noted that their full implementation would have far-reaching benefits for both the youth and the wider community.
The meeting, held at Albai Lodges in Kirinyaga County, brought together county officials, youth representatives and development partners to evaluate milestones achieved and chart the way forward.
Kahiga described the summit as a defining moment that awakened young people to their potential and positioned them as active partners in development rather than passive recipients of government services.
“Beyond being an awakening moment for our youth, the actualisation of the summit deliberations will be a boon not only for Nyeri County but for the region and the country at large,” he said.
The Governor revisited the seven thematic sittings, popularly known as kikaos, which formed the backbone of the summit and provided a platform for young people to freely interact with government officials and development partners.
The thematic areas included health and wellbeing, education and skills development, arts and creative economy, ICT and innovation, agriculture and agribusiness, climate action, and leadership and governance.
According to Kahiga, the kikaos enabled youth to articulate their ideas, fears and aspirations, while also proposing practical solutions to challenges affecting their socio-economic progress.
“This exercise marks a critical step I am taking to ensure that the success we built together matures into a lasting legacy for the people of Nyeri.
The policy and summit outcomes outline the vision of our youth who, through the seven thematic kikaos, demonstrated exceptional competence, clarity and readiness to lead,” he said.
He added that the formal handover of the summit resolutions to his office signified a major milestone towards strengthening public service delivery and ensuring that youth-led initiatives are implemented by capable and accountable actors.
Reflecting on the success of the summit, Kahiga lauded planners, sponsors and the more than 2,000 young people who participated, describing the process as a true reflection of the philosophy “By Youth, With Youth, For Youth.”
“It is often said that success has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan. Looking at the remarkable outcome of our Youth Summit, I see many fathers and mothers—the planners, sponsors and the young people who breathed life into this vision,” he said.
During the meeting, the Governor commended stakeholders for crafting resolutions that he said would inform the development of a comprehensive youth policy to guide interventions both now and in the future.
He stressed the need to remain faithful to the ideals of the Youth Summit, describing it as one of the most effective avenues for empowering young people and steering them away from poverty and social exclusion.
Kahiga further pledged his personal commitment to driving the summit agenda forward, adding that both the county government and development partners were ready and willing to support the realisation of the resolutions.
Among the key objectives of the 2025 Youth Summit were providing a platform for dialogue between youth, government and stakeholders, as well as building capacity in leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation.
“We addressed critical concerns raised during the People’s Kikao on governance and the Green Kikao on agribusiness, focusing on bridging the digital skills gap, enhancing mental health support and adopting climate-smart agriculture,” he said.
“With these resolutions now in my office, I am committed to translating them into actionable programmes and investments. We are establishing a clear follow-up and reporting mechanism to ensure absolute accountability,” he added.
The county boss also announced plans to seek approval from the County Assembly to increase funding for future Youth Summits from the current Sh3.5 million, noting that enhanced funding would allow the event to run for at least three days instead of two.
According to Kahiga, extending the duration of the summit would enable more young people to participate and benefit from mentorship, networking and skills-building opportunities.
During last year’s summit, the Governor challenged youth to embrace innovation and creativity, warning that unemployment would persist unless young people took initiative and explored self-driven solutions.
He observed that while both county and national governments were implementing measures to address youth unemployment, such interventions alone could not sufficiently resolve the problem.
“The clarion call should be for every young person to go out of their way and try doing something for themselves. We cannot solve our problems by lamenting without offering solutions,” he said.
He urged youth to actively seek opportunities, engage potential employers, approach financial institutions for start-up capital and market their skills globally.
Kahiga noted that the county government continued to support youth through annual internship programmes but acknowledged that such initiatives could only absorb about 200 youths annually.
He explained that the idea behind institutionalising an annual Youth Summit was to create a broader platform where young people could interact with employers, financiers and development partners to forge mutually beneficial partnerships.
By Samuel Maina
