• Youths say in most cases, whatever is discussed about the youth does not have any action plan to accompany it.
- Activista Mombasa coordinator Job Situma said county authorities were unwilling to engage youths.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
The Mombasa county administration does not consider the views of young people while making important decisions on issues that affect them, youth activists have said.
Activista Mombasa, a lobby, on Tuesday said youth at the Coast have been given a raw deal by their county governments.
“In most cases, whatever is discussed about the youth does not have any action plan to accompany it. Everything is quickly forgotten,” Activista Mombasa coordinator Job Situma said.
This, the youth said, makes them feel unappreciated, frustrated and angry.
“They end up in bad groups and do bad things that they regret later in life,” Situma said.
He spoke to the Star after a meeting of disgruntled youth at the Bamburi Beach Hotel, where they resolved to stand up for themselves.
Situma said the International Youth Day celebrated on August 12 every year has lost meaning with none of the issues raised by youth being addressed.
Mombasa county youth executive Munyoki Kyalo said that the county has always engaged youth and developed programmes geared towards empowering them.
Through his social media platforms, the CEC said this year’s International Youth Day celebrations focused on the theme ‘Transforming Education’ which he said is one of the ways to empower the youth.
“The department of youth, gender, sports and cultural affairs together with youth-focused CSOs held various youth dialogues in all sub-counties to exploit opportunities around this year’s theme,” Kyalo said.
Rashid Katana, another activist, said Mwakirunge youth have been yearning for platforms like the International Youth Day to air their grievances but this was denied them because of poor planning.
“This year’s celebrations were not a youth affair. Youth were not consulted so nothing that happened there was geared towards the youth,” Katana said.
He called on the county to give grants to youth groups so as to empower them.
“Instead of the revolving funds, we would like the county to offer grants because it is hard for the youth to repay loans when they have nothing doing,” Katana said.
Katana asked leaders to go down to the grassroots and engage residents on their needs.
“They do not understand us and our problems. That is why we will always feel left out,” Katana said.
Kwacha Africa’s Evans Kasena said youth spaces are limited. He said education is not only about academic affairs.
“This is where the leaders go wrong. There are other aspects of education like life skills that the youth need but are not given,” he said.
He said most people tasked with the responsibility of handling youth affairs are either older or are too bossy to understand the youth.
“They are know-it-alls. You cannot tell them anything even though they are not youths,” Kasena said.
Gladys Sulubu, a youth activist from Mwakirunge, one of the most neglected areas of Mombasa county, said there is very little to be proud of in the area.
She said health facilities in Mwakirunge are not youth-friendly, have few female nurses and are opened for only a few hours, mostly from 9am-4pm.
“There is only one vocational institute in Mwakirunge which is also not well equipped. Youth depends on these to at least get some skills they can use to earn a living.
“We as the youth in Mwakirunge have complained about these issues but nothing is done,” said Sulubu.