Youth engagement took centre stage in Kisumu County this week as leaders threw down the gauntlet, urging young residents to swap spectator seats for the architect’s table in governance.
The high-impact forum, held at the Acacia Hotel for the Sikizana Youth Hub, was a collaboration between Uraia, the National Civic Education Organisation, Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative (TEAM), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The event provided a direct line between the youth and their duty bearers, focusing on raising pressing issues and co-creating solutions.
The Kisumu County Government showed its deep commitment to youth affairs, with attendance from political leadership and the Ag. Chief Officer and department youth officers.
Hon. Beatrice Odongo, the CECM for Sports, Culture, Gender and Youth Affairs, issued a powerful challenge to the participants. She insisted that youth must first be accountable for their own actions before demanding the same from the government.
“Kisumu is a County of energy, innovation, and youthful brilliance,” Odongo stated, emphasizing that participatory governance is the next frontier. She clarified that this means much more than just showing up, “It means being involved in decision-making processes, budget dialogues, public participation forums, and County policy formulation.”
The CECM urged young people to actively attend these government sessions to ensure their interests are enshrined in policy. She also committed to personally monitoring the youth uptake on available funds meant for them, such as the Youth Fund.
Adding to the call for constructive participation, the Chair of Sports, Culture, Gender and Youth Affairs in the County Assembly, Hon. Nancy Matara Ochieng, appealed to the youth, particularly Gen Zs, to engage with civility. She advised them to “be lenient and avoid insults to their leaders” when addressing issues, stressing that the Constitution already provides clear platforms for public participation.
Organisers, including Uraia Communication Officer Basil Okech, aim to cultivate an environment where youth engage constructively and remain solution-oriented with their duty bearers.
CECM Odongo concluded with a powerful call to action that defined the spirit of the forum: “Let the youth of Kisumu rise not as spectators, but as architects of good governance and custodians of accountability.” The message was clear: the power to shape Kisumu’s future rests firmly in the hands of its youth.