The GoDown has, in recent months, had the opportunity to contribute to the Nairobi County Youth Policy which was launched by Nairobi County Governor H.E. Ann Kananu on the 8th of February 2022.
The document, which was developed through a consultative process, identifies twelve priority areas that will guide the County’s engagement with the youth, notably the Creative and Talent Identification Priority Area. See an excerpt below. Click here to access the full policy
Our input included articulating the need to mainstream the concept of creativity in all aspects of the county’s development and ensuring the inclusion of language on the Culture and the Creative Economy. Policy advocacy remains a key role We are committed to playing, directly and through its membership and participation in the Creative Economy Working Group*.
The policy recommends that the County Government of Nairobi shall allocate at least 2% of its annual budget to the programs and activities within the department of youth to be implemented at the ward level. The policy also proposes the establishment of a Nairobi Youth Advisory Committee that will act as the voice of Nairobi Youth in the management of youth affairs in the county.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Nairobi is home to nearly 1.4 Million youth, roughly 31% of the population of the county’s population. It is our position that investing in their creativity and innovative expression, the youth are in a strengthened position to make a significant contribution to the economy and to nation-building.
The County anticipates that the Policy will have far reaching effects on the participation engagement and inclusion of Nairobi Youth in its leadership, governance and development agenda.
According to the Governor, this “policy document is an illustration of just how capable our youth are if we truly let them be represented, participate and be associated in all spheres of life as envisaged in Article 55 and 10 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. I am convinced that this policy will serve to facilitate the youth programme in the economic and social aspects for our inclusive growth through Kenya Vision 2030, County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), Sustainable development goals (SDGs) and other development frameworks.”
*The Creative Economy Working Group (CEWG) is a network of civil society organizations in Kenya. The goal of CEWG is to promote creativity, innovation and the diversity of the cultures of the people of Kenya as drivers of community well-being, social development and economic growth. CEWG believes that this goal can be realized through the development of facilitation policies and legal instruments and the establishment of strong and innovative institutions.