Youth leaders, civil society groups, and county officials in Uasin Gishu have called for greater awareness and inclusivity in the implementation of the recently gazetted Uasin Gishu County Youth Policy 2024.
The consultative forum, organized in Eldoret by Rural Women Peace Link with support from partners, including GIZ, SOS Children’s Villages, and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), brought together grassroots youth leaders and county officials to review progress and gaps.
Clinton Gwako who is the Programme and Communication Officer at Rural Women Peace Link, said the forum was a space for dialogue and collective action under the theme “Vijana ni Nguzo, Tuwakuze.”
The Youth leaders led by Soy, Moiben, Ainabkoi, Turbo, Kapseret and Kesses Youth (SMATKKEY) organization CEO Collins Kemboi, have hailed the policy as a milestone and will play a key role in enhancing youth inclusivity in matters of governance.
The Chairperson for Uasin Gishu Civil Society Organizations Network Benedine Kipruto, says it would address education, innovation, employment, mental health, and youth participation, strengths which for years, youths were not keen to note.
She has urged stronger partnerships to overcome challenges such as low awareness and resource gaps.
The Civil society actors echoed the need for sensitization, emphasizing that most youth in Uasin Gishu remain unaware of the policy, limiting ownership.
“But here they have raised inclusivity concerns,” Florence Tosh, an intersex rights advocate, says, “the policy must address the needs of intersex youth who face stigma and discrimination.”
Glory Kathure, a global youth ambassador, urges young people to read and engage with the policy.
CEC for Education and Acting Youth Affairs CEC, Eng. Lucy Ng’endo Njoroge, assured stakeholders of a review to ensure no group is left behind.
At the heart of the forum was a call for stronger partnerships to ensure the Youth Policy becomes a practical tool for empowerment rather than just a document on paper.
By Jevvah Kiplimo
