Nyeri county kick-starts ambitious youth development policy

Nyeri county has started formulating a development policy to address issues affecting the youth.

The policy document will provide a framework to guide the county government to have a strategic approach when implementing youth programmes and plans.

The document will also offer a framework on which all programmes and sectoral policies base their efforts on mainstreaming issues affecting the youth at all levels, including a mechanism of accountability.

Governor Mutahi Kahiga, while launching the exercise at Mweiga NG-CDF hall in Kieni West on Monday, said it will be carried out in all the eight subcounties.

“The Youth Development Policy comes very close to the Youth Development Bill that I signed into law just a week ago,” Kahiga said.

"[It] will focus on ensuring that matters youth are dealt with in a systematic, lawful and articulate way.”

Some participants at the event requested the creation of different categories of licensing with preference given to youth, including getting a waiver in trading licence charges.

The event is being conducted by the county government through the Department of Youth in partnership with World Vision and Africa Youth Trust (AYT).

AYT executive director Alex Sapingot said they were supporting the county government and the youth committee to carry out public participation and collect views.

Nyeri Youth executive Esther Ndung’u said the youth’s views will be collected and integrated into the document.

The exercise, which started on Monday, is expected to take eight days and will end on September 22.

edited by Amol Awuor