Kenya to host Africa's first youth scouts event in 2023

Nairobi will in April 2023 host 2,500 scouts from across the world during the first Africa Rover Moot.

The event will be held from April 15-25, 2023.  The participants, who are aged between 18 and 26, belong to national scouts associations.

Members are drawn from the Kenya Scouts Association, Africa and other parts of the world.

A World Rover Moot is organised every four years by the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

“This should not be difficult for us, considering that the Kenya Scouts Association is the largest scouts organisation in Africa and sixth largest globally, with over 2.1 million young people who are members,” ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru said.

He spoke on Friday while launching the Rover Moot Brand, which started preparations for the event.

During the 10-day event, participants will learn from each other, share ideas, do community service and come up with innovative solutions for the challenges that youths and their communities face.

Mucheru said he will ensure that the youth who make up close to 75 per cent of Kenya's population are empowered, involved and protected to make them self-reliant and creators of jobs, not just consumers of jobs.

The ICT ministry is setting up a youth empowerment centre at the Rowallan Scout Camp as a gesture to show the government's support towards Scouts and Girl Guides.

“The government has pledged support towards the Kenya Scout Association and Rover Scouts, who are involved in preparation of the upcoming event. We will link you with other relevant government agencies when called upon,” Mucheru said.

Kenya Scouts Association chief commissioner Victor Radido said Africa is rising and youths remain its greatest asset.

“The African story is a promising one. We are certain that the Rover Scouts will be the new lenses that the world will use to look at Africa and its youthful population,” he said.

In 2010, KSA hosted the 13th World Scouts Moot, the first to be held in Africa. The event was attended by 1,675 scouts from 68 countries around the world. 

KSA has partnered with the ICT ministry to enable at least 1,000 Rover Scouts to learn how to earn from digital platforms through the Ajira Digital programme.

“To ignore the youth, is to ignore our future. As the ministry in charge of this critical sector, we cannot afford to do this. There exists countless programmes and opportunities for the growth and empowerment of the Kenyan youth,” Mucheru said.