Although devolved units have been in place for over a decade heralded as a major paradigm shift in bringing development, they lack the youth policy required for development, empowerment and meaningful participation of young people.
With a revised national youth policy in place, counties must use the document as a guide to lay down structures to improve youth conditions and position.
The counties indeed face numerous challenges as they carry out devolved functions.
However, county governments have scored dismally in implementing youth development programmes to address unemployment, the biggest economic challenge facing Kenya today, ringing alarm bells. Kenyan youth if properly engaged can deliver the devolution and development promise.
Studies reveal distressing statistics. The majority of counties do not have independent and functional youth departments or a ministry to handle youth affairs.
Only about five out of the 47 counties have youth policies with a clear framework to address problems burdening young people. The devolved units with youth policy include Nyeri, Kakamega and Makueni counties.
More pressing is that few countries have identified concrete measures to address youth unemployment. Only a handful of counties make budgetary allocations. Lamentably, most of the plans were developed without the meaningful participation of the intended beneficiaries.
Counties have been pushing for more resources. Unfortunately, the Auditor-General’s reports reveal that with the exception of a few, some devolved units have not mooted ways to develop innovative and viable economic blueprints to create jobs for the youths.
Make no mistake, youth policy is an important strategy that can help public authorities to provide young people with opportunities and experiences that support their successful integration into society and enable them to be active and responsible members of their societies as well as agents of change.
Often youth are viewed as leaders of tomorrow. But it is important to recognise that they are already leading today. Everything in today’s reality tells the story of young people making a great impact and insisting that their time is now.
As Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, said a society that does not succeed in the energy and creativity of its youth risks being left behind.
