State embarks on targeted Youth Review to shape future policies

ANITA OMWENGA-KNA

Kenya is set to embark on a targeted review of youth issues under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), a process expected to inform future policies on employment, participation, and inclusive governance.

The APRM, an institution of the African Union, promotes good governance through independent assessments and peer reviews conducted at the level of Heads of State and Government.

The initiative follows a formal request by President William Ruto to the African Union for support in carrying out the review within the APRM framework.

Its purpose is to deepen understanding of the lived realities, grievances, and aspirations of Kenyan youth, and to generate actionable responses that strengthen governance and policy.

A delegation from the APRM Continental Office, led by Chief Executive Officer Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, paid a courtesy call on Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in Nairobi.

Mudavadi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the process, stating that Kenya fully supports the review and will implement its findings through concrete policy, legislative, and institutional reforms.

Ambassador Quatre described Kenya’s decision to undertake the targeted youth review as a demonstration of strong political will toward youth empowerment and African-led accountability.

She commended Kenya’s leadership within the APRM and the African Union, noting that the country continues to serve as a reference point for people-centred governance reforms. 

She emphasized that the review will be participatory and inclusive, with young people positioned as the central stakeholders.

Consultations will be held with state and non-state actors, county-level engagements, interviews, and focus group discussions to capture the diversity of youth experiences across the country.

A data-collection toolkit has already been developed and validated by stakeholders to ensure that voices from rural communities, informal settlements, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups are meaningfully represented.

“This approach aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions young people as key drivers of national and continental transformation,” Ambassador Quatre said.

The review will also explore opportunities to regulate digital platforms in ways that achieve positive governance outcomes while safeguarding youth-led innovation in advocacy, civic participation, and engagement.

Ambassador Quatre explained that strengthening digital civic engagement, while protecting innovation among young people, will be a key focus of the process.

Once completed, the final report will undergo stakeholder validation before submission to the Government of Kenya and eventual presentation at the African Union Summit. Its recommendations are expected to inform wide-ranging reforms in policy and programme design, as well as governance frameworks.