A youth lobby has raised concerns over the link between youths and violence.
The American Friends Service Committee says harassment of the youths over association with societal vices is a common complaint among young peers.
AFSC Somali programme officer Christopher Okudo said youths hold a pivotal role in shaping the society in socio-economic, political and structural issues.
He spoke in Nairobi during a campaign dubbed youths at risk.
“As young people, we should not stand and watch media, funders, governments and nonprofits use negative and harmful language to describe the youth. We are change agents, leaders of today, intentional, innovative and patriotic,” Okudo said on Wednesday.
He said Africa has great potential if the youth energy is utelised well.
Their are about 226 million youths in Africa constituting of about ( 19 per cent) of the global youth population. The United Nations define youth as people aged 15 to 24 years. By 2030, it is predicted that the number of youths in Africa will have increased by 42 per cent.
Okudo urged the government to engage youths who have been sidelined by inequality, lack of opportunity, squashed aspiration and marginalisation.
“Young people have always been labelled troublemakers. To get to this point, politicians – and society at large – are going to need to overcome the prejudices held against trouble” and troublesome young people,” he said.
He said in some instances, there were individuals in society who are not inclined to be civic-minded and have been allowed to have “a dominant voice” within their neighbourhoods.
In April, a study on the effects of organised criminal gangs on the livelihoods of urban residents showed the scourge was increasingly being committed by younger people,
aged 12-25 years.
Unicef in 2005 said young people are left to take care of themselves in violence-torn communities that do not provide services. “To cope with the devastating circumstances in the urban set-ups, youth often exhibit risky behaviour, including substance abuse, gang membership, aggressive and violent actions against others, stealing and other crimes or early pregnancy.”
Ipoa in 2014 said unequal distribution of resources, high population growth and increased poverty due to youth unemployment had contributed to the rising number of criminal gang activities in Kenya.