Kenya National Youth Council CEO Roy Telewa
NYC is a young agency and we are still putting up structures for
nationwide reach. We now have a fully-functional secretariat.
We have
decentralised our governance, communication and programmes to ensure all
youth from the grassroots have someone representing their issues to be
well articulated and addressed.
To ensure youth participation, inclusion and engagement, NYC has hosted
events like Youth Industrial Programme, Greening Kenya Initiative,
sexual responsibility through the ‘Sawazishagumzo’ programme,
reproductive health (menstrual health), food distribution and sports in
partnership with Spread Truth Africa.
NYC is about 10 years old. What have you been up to?
As a state agency, we champion youth affairs, inform on government
legislations and policies and seek state intervention on matters
affecting the youth. We have made notable strides, including the 2007
framework that established the Youth Enterprise Fund, and procurement
opportunities for the youth. We have also advanced youth advocacy agenda
in parliament, enhanced youth participation in politics and leadership,
besides addressing issues ranging from drug abuse, teenage pregnancies,
menstrual health and hygiene.
What issues affect a millennial Kenyan besides unemployment and what have you done about it?
The youth don’t have access to the right information to make empowered
decisions. They also don’t know about the many government programmes
due to lack of information about their existence. Other challenges
include mental and emotional distress, betting, drug and substance
abuse. The government needs to facilitate skill acquisition and creation
of employment opportunities.
The Kazi Mtaani initiative was inspired by the coronavirus pandemic to
address unemployment among the youth. But countries like China are
teaching their youth about entrepreneurship. What is NYC doing?
We need not compare Kenya to China because the contexts are very
different. Kazi Mtaani was a safety net during Covid-19 pandemic to
cushion the youth against adversities, considering that the young are
hard hit through loss of jobs and lack of access to livelihoods. Once
the pandemic is over, the same programme can be reinvented or morphed
into another initiative to solve youth issues.
However, the government is addressing youth unemployment generally via
access to procurement opportunities, Ajira platforms, which connect
young people to jobs, as well as affirmative action funds like Uwezo
Fund. There is also Talanta Mtaani to spot and nurture young talent for
economic gain. We also held a challenge dubbed ‘FURSA vs VIRUS
Challenge’, entailing a series of workshops and webinars, and
culminating in a 72-hour Fursathon in which youth from 47 counties
participated in creating tech and non-tech solutions to some of the most
pressing challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Are you consulted when the government appoints gukas and cucus in youth-related positions?
Yes, there is some level of consultation and we do our best to ensure
the youth are given opportunities. For instance, between 2014 and 2015,
the president appointed a number of young people as Chief Administrative
Secretaries. Regarding appointment of gukas and cucus in leadership
positions, NYC believes in inter-generational mix. A guka can have a
wealth of knowledge and experience, which can go a long way in nurturing
the skills of young people.
What do you know about Kenyan youth that they are yet to discover about themselves?
They are innovative, creative and hardworking, and are among the best on
the globe. Most need the right mindset but many don’t know about this
fact. When the Kenyan youth realises this, they will no longer
complain, since they have the power to elect whomever they want.
Youth clamour for political leadership but are not interested in politics. How can they be helped? Young people don’t need help, but access to the right information, mentorship and support to achieve their goals. We need to empower and advocate for fair play in terms of resource mobilisation and opportunities. We need to applaud some of the parties that consider waiving some of the costs associated with their participation in leadership as this is a good way of encouraging them.
Youth clamour for political leadership but are not interested in politics. How can they be helped? Young people don’t need help, but access to the right information, mentorship and support to achieve their goals. We need to empower and advocate for fair play in terms of resource mobilisation and opportunities. We need to applaud some of the parties that consider waiving some of the costs associated with their participation in leadership as this is a good way of encouraging them.
Tom Mboya and Ken Matiba were in crucial government positions
while in their 30s. But today’s 30-year-olds are still binge-drinking.
What went wrong?
Again, it trickles down to the lack of right information to access
opportunities. Besides, moral decadence in society has contributed to
this. Due to culture change, young people no longer want to be
controlled by their parents and so wish to live their own lifestyle,
irrespective of how negative it is. NYC has a programme called Sawazisha
Gumzo to normalise the conversation around betting, drug abuse, FGM
among others.
Why do women youth groups do better than men’s?
Women are well organised and disciplined. Unfortunately, many young
people do not have the right knowledge and exposure to how best to
manage the accessed resources. This has created a need for a
sensitisation. If I give you money today and I don’t show you ways of
how you can use it, you are likely to misuse it. This is what is
happening today. However, all is not lost.
Retired President Mwai Kibaki did an exceptional job using the
old guard. Uhuru gave the youth a chance and they ruined it. Old is
really gold, don’t you think?
As much as old is gold, don’t forget that a number of them have also
made mistakes. The youth can also do exceptional jobs. This can be
exemplified by the youthful leaders in the country. The problem with
some Kenyans is only focusing on the mistakes. We need both young and
old people on board.
The few young politicians in power have not set a good example. What are the gaps?
The youth in power have delivered amazing results. Like (Nairobi
Senator) Hon (Johnson) Sakaja, despite the negative incident (of
drinking after curfew hours), he is the one who championed the National
Employment Act legislation and the National Youth Council among others.
Hon Charles Keter is championing the amendment of NYC in parliament
among other legislations. So, the youth are doing an amazing job despite
the challenges.
Sporting facilities and centres for music and arts could solve
half the idleness among the youth. Why is the government not exploiting
this?
It is not lost. Talanta Mtaani initiative by the Kenya Film Board, for
instance, is quite successful. The programme has done a commendable job
in terms of engaging talented youth to discover their potential, nurture
talent and use it for monetary gain. The government has also set up
sporting facilities in various parts of the country, which would be
operational and benefit the youth greatly after the pandemic.
Your graduate thesis was on procurement.
The youth are suddenly
interested in procurement to steal. What influences get-rich
quick-schemes?
Get-rich-quick schemes may be attributed to the youth's exposure to
others in society who use dubious means to get rich. I think it is an
issue of moral degradation in society at large. What is needed is the
right mindset that sees the value of looking for proper opportunities
that can warrant proper projects.
The Kenyan youth are not as driven as their parents. They are comfortable with sports betting. How do we reset value systems for them? This is a cultural issue which involves morals and values. It is true that the youth are now focused on short-term gratification after seeing others benefit from the same. This can be addressed by changing our culture and morals and teaching that hard work pays and there is need to eat your sweat. Banking on one day winning Sh20 million lottery, which may never come, leads to depression, suicide and mental anguish. The youth need to be told they can succeed by following the right channels and not short cuts.
The Kenyan youth are not as driven as their parents. They are comfortable with sports betting. How do we reset value systems for them? This is a cultural issue which involves morals and values. It is true that the youth are now focused on short-term gratification after seeing others benefit from the same. This can be addressed by changing our culture and morals and teaching that hard work pays and there is need to eat your sweat. Banking on one day winning Sh20 million lottery, which may never come, leads to depression, suicide and mental anguish. The youth need to be told they can succeed by following the right channels and not short cuts.
Politicians find the youth easy prey during elections. They are
always misused and never learn. What can they do two years to
elections?
A lot of youth are vulnerable to misuse because many are idle and easily
fall prey to short-term gains like being lured with money. This can be
addressed by engaging young people constructively, both socially and
economically. A case in point is Kazi Mtaani, which as led to a sharp
drop in crime.
Pullout quote: The youth don’t have access to the right information to make empowered decisions
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