A forum on enhancing youth, women and smallholder farmers’ participation in policy processes in Vihiga county./FILE
Youths and women in Bungoma and Vihiga counties have accused local administrations of sidelining them in key public participation forums, warning that their continued exclusion undermines inclusive development and accountability in county governance.
Speaking in Vihiga during a workshop on enhancing youth, women, and smallholder farmers’ participation in policy processes, youths expressed frustration that county leaders only involve them as a formality and rarely consider their input in final county plans and budgets.
Josephat Mbeta, a youth, said many public participation sessions are organized without adequate notice and even when youths and women attend, their views are often ignored.
“For a long time, county governments have treated public participation as a box-ticking exercise,” he lamented.
He added, “Our views hardly find their way into county budgets or development plans. This defeats the purpose of participation."
The forum, organised by the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) in collaboration with the Vihiga County Government, sought to strengthen citizen voices in local decision-making.
Mbeta added that the exclusion of youths and women from policy discussions has denied counties fresh ideas and innovation that could spur growth.
“We are the largest population segment actively contributing to county development from agribusiness to entrepreneurship. Ignoring our voices is simply self-defeating,” he said.
John Khamala, the Director of Public Participation and Civic Engagement in Vihiga County, admitted that the county is still struggling to fully implement inclusive participation, despite having a legal framework in place.
He said the public participation and Civic Engagement Act (2020) that was signed by Governor Wilberforce Ottichilo was meant to ensure transparency and inclusivity in governance.
The law requires the county to publish policy and budget documents two weeks before public participation to allow residents to review and submit memorandums.
However, youths say this rarely happens in practice. Many citizens, especially from rural areas, lack access to the internet or information platforms where these documents are shared.
Khamala acknowledged that past forums have not adequately represented youth and women's voices, saying the county is working to improve outreach.
“We admit youths and women have been left out for a long time,” he said.
“Their involvement is critical because they are the majority and play a huge role in community development."
