7th February, 2026
FROM POLICY TO YOUTH MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION
Nyeri Youth Sector Working Group (NYSWG) conducted a targeted capacity-building session with members of the Mizizi Youth Network, convened by Cifcad Kenya, aimed at strengthening youth preparedness for effective participation in county planning and budgeting processes, particularly the County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP) public participation.
The session focused on three key areas:
- Understanding the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy (2023) where the youths were guided through the structure, objectives, and priority areas of the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy (2023) and critically examined the policy provisions, assessed their relevance to lived realities, and identified areas of strength, gaps, and opportunities for improvement, ensuring that policy discussions remain youth-centered and responsive.
- Demystifying the County Budget-Making Process where NYSWG representatives unpacked the county budget cycle, highlighting key stages where public input is required and most impactful.
- Mapping Youth Priorities for Advocacy and Engagement through participatory group work where the youths mapped priority issues were guided by the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy 2023, aligning them with budget timelines and decision-making points. This process enabled youths to clearly articulate evidence-based, policy-aligned proposals for submission during public participation forums.
- As Nyeri County approaches the CFSP public participation period, this engagement reinforced a clear message that informed youth participation is essential to inclusive and accountable governance.
7th February, 2026
NYSWG DIALOGUE WITH THE GOVERNOR ON MENTAL HEALTH IN NYERI COUNTY
On 22nd January 2026, youths from NYSWG held a dialogue with H.E. Mwalimu Mutahi Kahiga the Governor to discuss the implementation status of the County Mental Health Action Plan. The engagement focused on reviewing progress made, identifying gaps in mental health service delivery and financing and exploring ways to improve access to youth-friendly and community-based mental health services in regards to the Nyeri County Mental Health Costed Plan (2023-2027)
The discussion reaffirmed the importance of youth participation in shaping, monitoring, and strengthening mental health interventions among others across Nyeri County.
ESTABLISHING THE NYERI YOUTH SECTOR WORKING GROUP
With the support of World Vision Kenya, we’ve convened a strong team that we believe will transform the youth space in governance and decision-making in Nyeri County.
A Sector Working Group is a multi-stakeholder forum established to guide, coordinate, and support various stages of governance.
For this team, we have two key objectives:
- Advocacy – Ensure the full implementation of the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy, especially through the budget process.
- Youth Inclusion – Find practical ways to bring more young people from Nyeri on board in this process.
Nelson Maina NEC Hub Coordinator, and World Vision shall provide technical support throughout this journey.
There are so many aspects that will serve to unlock many doors for the Youth, such as
The Annual Youth Summit
A Youth Directorate
Devolved communities
NYERI YOUTH ENGAGE THE CEC FINANCE, ECONOMIC PLANNING & ICT
On 22nd April 2025, the Nyeri Youth Sector Working Group (NYSWG) held a five-hour session with CEC Mr. Thuo, following a petition submitted to the Department of Finance, Economic Planning & ICT.
The NYSWG was established with the key mandate of ensuring the full implementation of the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy, launched in late 2024.
Earlier this month, during an advocacy session facilitated by Nelson Maina’s Group and supported by World Vision Kenya, the Youth Group identified systemic gaps in Nyeri’s budget-making process. To fully capture youth programs outlined in the Policy, it was agreed that the Programme-Based Budget (PBB) Draft 2025/26 must be thoroughly analysed.
Unfortunately, the Department of Economic Planning has a history of skipping public participation at the PBB stage, instead submitting it directly to the Assembly by April 30.
With timelines running out, the NYSWG submitted two petitions:
- To the County Secretary (who received it and engaged physically).
- To the CEC Finance and Economic Planning (leading to the April 22nd session).
From the engagement, the Department maintained that skipping PBB public participation is acceptable, insisting that consultations already took place during the County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP) process in February 2025.
However, Youth leaders strongly disputed this claim. Four documents were presented to the public in February.
- CFSP 2025
- Debt Strategy Paper
- Supplementary Budget
- MTEF (Medium-Term Expenditure Framework)
But only one, the CFSP, was discussed at the forums (as witnessed in Mukurweini).
On 30th April 2025, the Nyeri Youth Sector Working Group submitted three petitions to:
- The Office of the Governor – as the coordinator of county government functions.
- The County Public Service Board (CPSB) – which handles staff establishment.
- The County Assembly of Nyeri – especially through its Legal Affairs mandate.
These petitions are anchored on the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy, which was approved by both the Cabinet and Assembly. The policy clearly establishes a Youth Directorate – meaning that Nyeri is obligated to create a dedicated office led by a Director for Youth.
Submission of petitions
The Nyeri Youth Sector Working Group has submitted two petitions to the Executive. One to the County Secretary and the other to the CEC Finance and Economic Planning. This is informed by the fact that historically, the Executive has skipped public participation on the Program Based Budgets. Nevertheless, the Nyeri Youth Sector Working Group is pushing for the full implementation of the Nyeri Youth Policy launched last year.
A key step is deliberations on the specific programs to be included … which is why this document is called… Program-Based Budget. Civic Education and Public Participation is domiciled in the Office of the County Secretary. Mr Gachichio had a long chat with Zuena on challenges and opportunities.
This is also the stage where Ward Specific Projects by MCAs ( without public input ) are fixed in the department’s budgets. The CS advised the NYSWG to engage the CEC Finance and report back on the conclusion
It is time for Nyeri Youth to ensure they are at the decision-making table.
Nyeri Youth Development Policy: Nelson Maina’s Journey to Change
For Nelson Maina, a Budget Facilitator and passionate youth advocate in Nyeri County, the fight for youth representation in public finance was deeply personal. Frustrated by the lack of targeted programs for young people in the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) and budgets, Nelson knew something had to change. “We were being ignored,” he recalls, “and it wasn’t because we didn’t have ideas—it was because there was no structure to prioritize youth issues.”
In 2018, Nelson joined a group of like-minded youth activists to push for a dedicated youth policy.Their initial efforts led to the appointment of a youthful leader in the Department of Gender,Youth, and Social Services, but this was just the beginning. The real challenge lay in creating a formal framework to address youth development. Led by the County Executive Committee Member for Gender, Youth, Sports and Social Services,
Nelson and his team embarked on a mission to develop the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy. Supported by World Vision Kenya, they held public participation forums across all eight sub-counties in 2021. Governor Mutahi Kahiga personally attended these forums, listening to grievances and brainstorming solutions with young people.
In 2020, Nelson’s dedication to budget advocacy earned him a seat on the Nyeri County Budget and Economic Forum, CBEF, representing youth and civil society organizations. This platform gave him the opportunity to champion youth issues directly within the county’s budgeting process. By April 2022, a draft policy was validated, but election season delayed progress. Finally, in December 2023, the County Assembly approved the policy.
Launched in November 2024, the Nyeri County Youth Development Policy is a groundbreaking achievement that makes Nyeri the third county in Kenya, after Nairobi and Kakamega, to formally address youth development. Nelson reflects on the journey: “This policy is more than just a document—it’s a promise to every young person in Nyeri that their voice matters.”
This victory highlights the power of persistence and collective action. Nelson’s story is a testament to how passion and advocacy can drive systemic change, ensuring that youth are no longer an afterthought in public finance.
Bajeti hub benchmarking visit to health services fund
The Chief Officer highlighted the fund’s significant impact, emphasizing its role in improving the quality of healthcare services through timely access to essential drugs.
Courtesy Call and Benchmarking
Ndirangu Gachunia is the CEC Department of Lands, Housing, Planning and Urban Development.He is also the CEO CEREB, Central Economic Region Bloc made up of the 10 Governors in the region
Nairobi, Eastern, Central, Coast, Rift, Lake and Northern regional budget hub and Bajeti Hub team paid him a courtesy call as we were to benchmark and learn from the implementation of the Conditional Grant KISIP 2
