YAA Resource Center

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process entails the review of the Kenyan Government by its peers on its human rights practices and the respect of its human rights obligations. Kenya is one of the countries under review, and the review will be based on information prepared by a joint the state, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and a joint report from the civil society of Kenya.

Youth Agenda was given the mandate to convene meetings with interested youth organisations with the aim of compiling relevant information on human rights specific to the young people.

The youth cluster team, represented by YAA, also took part in a two day Capacity Building Workshop held on 18^th -19^th May 2009 to discuss the review process including preparation of stakeholders’ information, participation in the actual review and follow-up to the UPR and learn from the experiences of other States that have undergone review including South Africa and Brazil. Thereafter, the team under the leadership of YAA compiled and submitted a comprehensive report on the youth perspective on the situation of human rights in Kenya on the 26^th June 2009.

See report

The Youth Enterprise Development Fund was proposed to address the rising unemployment among young people. It was believed that many jobs would be created through funding youth owned ventures especially in the small and micro-enterprises sector.

Kenya’s National Youth Policy (NYP) is aimed at promoting youth participation in community and civic affairs and to ensure that youth programmes are youth centred. It visualizes a society where youth have an equal opportunity as other citizens to realize their fullest potential, productively participating in economic, social, political, cultural and religious life without fear or favour. However, awareness around NYP is minimal, especially among young people who are the beneficiaries of the policy. Youth Agenda therefore commenced a comparative analysis of the Kenyan NYP with those of other countries in order to identify strengths and shortcomings of the policy so as to engage with it appropriately.

See the report

This is a strategy for taking charge of the country and transforming it into a modern developed democracy that was formulated by young leaders in March 2008. The overall objective of Agenda 2020 is to provide this country with a new breed of transformational leaders capable of leading the country into the league of developed democratic nations.

In this spirit an Agenda 2020 Regional Coordinators consultative meeting was organised by the Agenda 2020 Core team and was held at the Mountain Lodge Serena Hotel on 23 -26th April 2009. The Objectives of the consultative meeting were interalia: to assemble coordinators from across Kenya to discuss with the Core Agenda 2020 team about their initiatives being undertaken in their provinces with a view to harmonization and synergy and to formulate a network that can facilitate information dissemination and coordination of activities.

The regional coordinators committed to a clear activity plan of initiatives that will be undertaken all over the country that would ensure the building of a national movement. They also established a network for Agenda 2020 roll out plans and strategies and developed a message that would be carried out to the regions to recruit members into the movement.