KENYA MOVES TO STRENGTHEN YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN PEACE AND SECURITY WITH NATIONAL ACTION PLAN.

BY NJOKI KARANJA. 

Nairobi, Kenya – Kenya is taking a significant step toward strengthening youth involvement in peace and security through the development of a National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security. This week, stakeholders from government agencies, civil society, and youth organizations are coming together to accelerate the agenda, ensuring that young people play a central role in shaping a peaceful and cohesive society.

Judy Kimono, the Country Director of Search for Common Ground/Photo by Archedious Ashiono.

 

Judy Kimono, the Country Director of Search for Common Ground, emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting that Kenya’s youth form the largest demographic and are essential to the nation’s stability and development. She highlighted that the National Action Plan will serve as a guiding framework to realize the aspirations of young people in Kenya.

The push for youth participation in peace processes gained international recognition in 2015 when young people from around the world, including Kenya, met in Jordan and engaged with the United Nations. Their efforts led to the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2250, which calls for youth participation in peacebuilding.

Kenya’s National Action Plan will be built around five key areas:

1. Participation – Ensuring meaningful youth inclusion in political and decision-making processes.

2. Protection – Safeguarding young people from harm and exploitation.

3. Prevention – Engaging youth as partners in peace rather than viewing them as instigators of conflict.

4. Partnerships – Fostering collaboration between youth, government, and civil society.

5. Disengagement & Reintegration – Supporting the reintegration of young people who have been involved in conflict or crime.

The development of this action plan is a collaborative effort involving key government institutions such as the State Department for Youth, the National Youth Council, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, and the National Youth Service. Civil society organizations and youth coalitions are also actively contributing to the process. According to Kimaru, young people have been organizing themselves through strong civil society networks, and the National Coalition for Youth is co-hosting this process to ensure their voices are represented.

With only six African countries having adopted a National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security, Kenya is set to become the seventh. The goal is to finalize and roll out the action plan within the next one to two years, ensuring that peace and security discussions are mainstreamed at the national, county, and grassroots levels before the next election cycle.

As part of the initiative, digital engagement channels will be opened, using modern AI tools to gather input from young people across the country.

This process marks an important step in Kenya’s efforts to build a peaceful and secure future, reinforcing the idea that young people are not just beneficiaries but key contributors to lasting peace.