Over
two months ago young people from all over the country gathered at Kenya
High on 10th December, 2012 for the National elections of members of
National Youth Council (NYC), at the end of the exercise 16 members of
the council had been elected, their names were gazetted on 21st December
in the official Kenya Gazzette, they had their first meeting a month
latter in February, chose office
bearers; with the Chairmanship going to Jim Clement Ayungo,
Vice-Chairmanship went to Fatuma Abdi and also chose 8 members to the
Youth Advisory Board. A month latter the council had its second sitting
where different offices/committees were put in place as fiollows:
Spokesperson (Communication/Marketing/PR) Maliba Arnold, Finance/Admin
Palapala Edwin, Resource Mobilization and External Relations Julie
Waweru, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Benson Mutemi, Programs and
Development Samwuel Chepkwuony, Youth Fund Board Rep Nesphroy Nyange.
For the purposes of this brief I will not go into the technical and
administrative challenges that have so far slowed the whole process but
its fine to report that the process of putting up a new institution in
government quarters is slow because of the prevailing circumstances and
the just concluded elections.
The offices are being set up at
Uchumi House 16th floor, members have done a budget and forwarded to
Treasury as is required by law, they are likely to be going for their
first induction in the next two weeks, a necessity that has been delayed
for so long. Then hire the secretary/c.e.o and staff members and the
council will become fully operational.
Some of the plans
underway include opening council branches in every county (with at least
3 permanent employees and 4 temporary depending with the work
available), and holding elections for NYC county offices once funds come
in starting in the financial year of June/July,
we are putting
measures to ensure that the National Youth policy is reviewed, the NYC
ACT, 2009 is redone according to the desires of young people, we also
are working on ensuring that young people are mainstreamed in leadership
starting with CDF committees according to the CDF Act 2013 among
others, we too hope to officially launch the council latter in the year.
For those of you who still don't know what the functions of the council
are, sample this and also get the Kenya National Youth Council Act of
2009;
The functions of the Council shall be to—
(a) regulate and co-ordinate activities and initiatives
relating to the youth being undertaken by youth
groups, youth focused community-based
organizations, non-governmental organizations,
civil society movements and other organizations;
(b) promote and popularize the national youth policy
and other policies that affect the youth;
(c) facilitate the periodic review of the national
youth policy in line with other government policy
statements;
(d) mobilize resources to support and fund youth
programmes and initiatives;
(e) lobby for legislation on issues affecting the
youth;
(f) liaise with other organizations to ensure that the
youth gain access to resources and services
appropriate to their needs;
(g) promote relations between youth organizations
and other bodies both nationally and
internationally with similar objectives or
interests;
(h) inspire and promote the spirit of unity,
patriotism, volunteerism and service among the
youth;
(i) formulate operational guidelines that protect the
youth against any form of abuse or manipulation;
(j) mobilize and sensitise relevant stakeholders on
the concept of community youth service;
(k) act as a voice and bridge to ensure that the
Government and other policy makers are kept
informed of the views and aspirations of the
youth;
(l) promote research, collation and analysis of data
on youth issues;
(m) promote the inclusion of youth agenda in the
formulation of policy by public institutions and
organizations;
(n) promote the inclusion of youths in decision making
bodies, boards, agencies and other public
institutions and organizations;
(o) promote and popularize the Youth Enterprise
Development Fund and such other devolved
funds targeting the youth as may be established
from time to time;
(p) perform any other function that may directly or
indirectly contribute to the attainment of the
foregoing.
The work is enormous, but we promise to deliver on it and keep you updated and also involved.
NYC: VOICE OF THE YOUTH!
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