WEST POKOT — Young people in West Pokot County are demanding a direct role in policy decisions affecting their lives, alongside urgent investment in mental health services, employment opportunities, and youth-driven entrepreneurship.
The demands were delivered during the Annual Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (AYSRHR) Symposium held at Teachers Plaza in Makutano. Organized by the Sikom Peace Network for Development, the forum brought together youth delegates, county government officials, and non-governmental development partners.
Sikom Peace Network Programme Manager Winnie Cheptoo emphasized the forum’s mandate to give young residents direct access to county leadership. “This is a platform that brings together young people and places them at the same table with the decision-makers,” Cheptoo stated.
A central theme of the symposium was the escalating mental health crisis among local youth. Delegates explicitly linked psychological distress to systemic unemployment, societal expectations, and a lack of local economic infrastructure.
Alvin Usaji of the advocacy group Now and Beyond warned that failing to intervene early would yield severe long-term consequences for the region. Pointing to a troubling rise in suicide cases in Kipkomo Sub-County, Usaji noted that many young residents turn to substance abuse due to missing support systems. He urged local leadership to establish dedicated budget lines for mental health programs and decentralize support services directly to the community level.
On civic participation, Masika Mwinyi, Programmes Officer at Youth for a Sustainable World (YSW), argued that youth inclusion must extend beyond token representation.
“The youth should not be involved just as youth, but should be able to make decisions on matters on how to run the society,” Mwinyi said.
Mwinyi confirmed that youth leaders drafted a comprehensive memorandum detailing their key policy demands. The document outlines calls for increased budgetary allocations, stronger institutional youth structures, and binding youth participation in county fiscal planning and policymaking.
Participants also addressed ongoing social crises impacting the region’s young women, including gender-based violence, early forced marriage, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and high rates of adolescent pregnancy. Data from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey places West Pokot’s teenage pregnancy prevalence rate at roughly 36 percent.
Zainabu Chenangat, a youth representative from Kacheliba, highlighted the social isolation faced by adolescent mothers and victims of abuse. “Most of them don’t get support from parents for parental love and affection, but rather they go through it alone,” Chenangat said.
Chenangat advocated for comprehensive community sensitization and improved collaboration between law enforcement, county agencies, and civil society organizations. She urged non-profits to actively track cases reported to local administrative offices to ensure survivors secure access to justice.
Responding on behalf of the local administration, Benjamin Kilelan, Chief Officer for Youth Affairs and Social Services, affirmed the West Pokot County Government’s commitment to collaborating with local organizations. “We are here to enable our partners to reach all the youth,” Kilelan stated.
Kilelan outlined existing county initiatives, including dedicated Youth Week programming and grassroots outreach campaigns. He cited a recent intervention in Masol Ward, Sigor Sub-County, which reached 976 girls with targeted education on the dangers of FGM.
However, Kilelan also flagged emerging socioeconomic challenges, specifically noting an increase in school dropouts linked to artisanal mining activities. He explained that many young people are prematurely leaving the education system in pursuit of quick, short-term earnings.
Closing the forum, youth delegates reiterated that long-term development in West Pokot hinges on accessible skills training, dedicated mental health resources, targeted financial support for young entrepreneurs, and structural policy changes that guarantee their voice in county governance.
