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Young MCAs to launch BBI report public participation exercise countrywide

By Collins Omulo December 19th, 2019 2 min read

Young MCAs across the country have set in motion a nationwide campaign geared towards promoting conversation around the Building Bridges Initiative report.

The MCAs, under the Kenya Young Members of County Assembly Association, said the campaign will also see the ward representatives, under 35 years, visit the 47 counties to carry out public participation on the report.

The chairperson of the Association, Nairobi County Assembly Majority Chief Whip, June Ndegwa, said they have partnered with a number of non-governmental organisations to make available copies of the report for use by the youths who will be part of the process.

“We want to give the youths a platform to have a conversation about the report. The copies will be distributed to youths who do not have access to the report online and together with youths we will go across all the counties in Kenya. In Nairobi, however, we will visit all its 17 sub-Counties,” said Ms Ndegwa.

The nominated MCA said that the campaign will culminate with a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta next year February to brief him on the progress of the exercise.

At the same time, Ms Ndegwa said that they plan to agitate for the establishment of a youth office in all the counties in Kenya as well as drafting of a National Youth Policy aimed at promoting sustainable peace in the country.

TRAIN YOUTHS

“The plan is to set up an office in the executive wing where officers will be deployed to handle issues related with youth. As Nairobi County Assembly MCAs with 36 young MCAs, we plan to move a motion in the House next year where the assembly will appeal the executive to establish such an office at City Hall,” she said.

The Majority Whip explained that the office will be used to train various youths on various programmes which the partner NGOs with the office used as a bridge to link the youths with various agencies.

She complained that currently, the youth in Nairobi feel sidelined as the executive has put them under the Education, Youth and Social Services department which mostly focuses on education matters at the expense of the youths.

“Due to the bulk of work, especially in the education sector, youth affairs have been sidelined,” she said.

The NGOs include Young Professionals for Development, the National Council of NGOs, Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network, Africa Youth Empowerment Atelier, Organization of African Youth, Accountability Advocates Kenya, PAWA 254 among others.