Youth Affairs, Sports, and Creative Economy Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya (inset) has been challenged to institute the election of the National Youth Council (NYC) after months of delays.

NYC interim member Julius Ganerah regretted that despite there being a directive by his predecessor, Kipchumba Murkomen, to conduct the crucial elections in February, the exercise has not been carried out, a situation he said has continued to deny Kenyan youths’ representation.

“The existing leadership at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports has deliberately not given priority to this matter, which plays a pertinent role in the youth representation,” regretted Ganerah.

In November last year, former Sports CS Murkomen unveiled the NYC National Election Steering Committee, which crafted the roadmap for the elections that were scheduled for February this year.

Murkomen had stressed the importance of adhering to the NYC Act, noting that the continued delay has been detrimental to the youth’s role in the country’s development.

For over 10 years, young people in the country have been in the cold due to a failure to have representation in national matters due to a lack of a properly constituted youth council to voice and pursue their interests.

Ganerah, in a letter stated that a properly-constituted NYC should serve as a direct link between the young people, government, civil society and the private sector.

“It is, however, disappointing and an abuse to the youth of this country that since 201,1, when the first and last election of the National Youth Council was conducted, there has never been any other election, which is against the National Youth Council Act,” he said.

“The NYC Act number 10 of 2009, mandates the national Youth Council to conduct polls after every three years, and the delay has been a significant setback for the youth, depriving them of their rightful voice in the country’s social, economic, and political development,” he added.

To expedite the NYC elections, the Youth leaders with the mandate of over 35 million youth, formed an Interim National Youth Council, which is now calling on CS Mvurya to revoke the appointment of Gloria Wawira as the Council’s Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO).