NCCK 4th National Youth Convening Demands Equity in Digital Access, Policy Inclusion, and Democratic Governance

DATELINE: NAIROBI, KENYA – SEPTEMBER 25, 2026

Youth following proceedings during the 4th National Youth Convening 2026

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) successfully concluded its five-day 4th National Youth Convening at the Christian Student Leadership Centre (CSLC) Ufungamano House in Nairobi. Held under the central banner "Claiming Space, Shaping Kenya," the forum assembled over three hundred young delegates, civil society actors, faith-based leaders, and policy experts from across all 47 counties to examine pressing national challenges regarding economic inclusion, technological sovereignty, and public governance.

​Delivering the joint conference communiqué at the close of the event on Friday, September 25, 2026, NCCK leadership alongside youth representatives outlined concrete demands aimed at restructuring how young people participate in national decision-making platforms. The delegates noted that despite youth representing the vast majority of Kenya’s population, structural barriers and piecemeal policy measures continue to exclude young voices from critical economic and political processes.

​A major focus of the five-day convening was the widening digital divide and the need for comprehensive digital infrastructure across rural and underserved urban settlements. While recognizing the rapid growth of young tech entrepreneurs, content creators, and innovation hubs in urban centers, delegates stressed that high data costs, erratic power supply, limited technical training, and restricted access to venture capital prevent millions of young Kenyans from participating fully in the global digital economy. The conference called on both government agencies and private tech enterprises to collaborate on establishing subsidized public digital infrastructure and expanding digital skills programs nationwide.

​On democratic governance and civic engagement, the convening issued a strong call for young citizens to assert their constitutionally guaranteed right to public participation. Representatives rejected the historic practice of politicians treating youth as passive voters or targets for political mobilization during election cycles, advocating instead for continuous, structured representation in legislative oversight bodies, county development committees, and national policy forums. Youth leaders committed to mobilizing their peers around issue-based civic education while resisting disinformation, ethnic polarization, and electoral bribery.

​Addressing economic empowerment, the assembly called for systemic reforms to address chronic youth unemployment and informal labor precarity. Delegates urged policymakers to lower tax burdens on small and medium enterprises, streamline access to public procurement opportunities, and expand vocational and technical training tailored to emerging green industries and digital service exports.

​The NCCK reaffirmed its institutional commitment to providing safe, non-partisan spaces for young people to organize, build capacity, and drive socio-economic advocacy. The council urged both state and non-state actors to treat young people not as passive beneficiaries of development programs, but as essential partners in building a resilient, equitable, and democratically sound nation.

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