10/09/2026
Empowering Mombasa’s Youth to Shape County Governance
Young people should not wait for decisions to be made about their future they should be equipped to **understand, influence, and shape the decisions that affect their lives and communities.
Recently, we participated in a youth engagement session supported by **NAYA Kenya, bringing together young people from across Mombasa County to strengthen their capacity to meaningfully participate in county governance and decision making processes.
The session provided practical learning, advocacy, and dialogue around public planning, budgeting, policy advocacy, accountability, and meaningful public participation.
Through the engagement, young people strengthened their ability to:
🔹 Understand and engage with the **county budget cycle**
🔹 Develop **evidence-based memoranda and advocacy messages**
🔹 Identify and articulate priority **Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)** issues
🔹 Advocate for youth priorities to be reflected in **county plans, policies, and budgets**
🔹 Promote **transparency, accountability, and meaningful citizen participation**
At EPIC, we believe youth participation must go beyond simply occupying seats in public forums. Young people must be informed citizens, confident advocates, policy influencers, and accountability champions.
When young people understand how decisions are made, how public resources are planned and allocated, and where their voices can influence policy, they move from being observers of governance to becoming active architects of their communities’ future.
**Youth participation is not merely about having a seat at the table. It is about having the knowledge to understand the issues, the courage to raise your voice, and the power to influence decisions.**
Because when young people are informed, **communities become stronger, governance becomes more responsive, and democracy becomes more meaningful.**
**The future of Mombasa cannot be shaped without Mombasa’s youth.**