The most radical change in decentralized governance in sub-Saharan Africa was enshrined in Kenya’s Constitution of 2010 with the creation of 47 local governments and fiscal transfers from Nairobi. The reforms have made government more responsive to people’s needs. It has led to renovations of existing facilities and more community-focused projects with Kenyan citizens as the main beneficiaries. However, these enhancements in participation, transparency and accountability have not yet changed engagement with the large, majority-youth population.
Youth aged 18-35 comprise three-quarters of the population in Kenya and are a great potential source of social and economic energy for the country. Yet, much of this energy is untapped. Older citizens hold de facto budgetary decision-making power. Culturally, the older generations’ views are prioritized due to the perception that they have more wisdom and experience than the youth. In urban settings, the younger population have greater access to information than their rural-based colleagues and may be more engaged in decision making processes. However, this largely depends on the modes of communication and engagement employed by the governments.
Use of technology such as online media engagement attracts more participation by youth but youth often mistrust and dismiss government processes based on their past experiences with the government, misinformation and general sentiments of their views getting overlooked. Youth priorities and needs may also not align with those of the broader majority of their communities. For instance, a health center may receive more popular support than a market center proposed by the youth. With insufficient civic education and access to funding, youth tend to feel like complete outsiders in their own democracy, which fuels sentiments of frustration, unfairness and exclusion.
More transparency, better accountability and greater responsiveness to the youth demographic are elements young Kenyans yearn for. The Kenyan government is beginning to respond to these demands. To encourage more civic engagement by younger citizens, the Kenyan government is taking measures through the World Bank’s Kenya Accountable Devolution Program (KADP) to better incorporate public participatory budgeting into their budget decision-making process.
A few local Kenyan governments have taken an unprecedented step to reach out to young people to ask what the challenges that youth face in getting involved in public affairs.
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