NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua held talks with two student leaders from Daystar University, pledging to amplify youth voices in national decision-making amid renewed debate on the place of young people in Kenya’s governance and economic recovery.
In a statement shared on social media, Gachagua said he met Hannington Karanja, a youth advocate at Daystar University, and Wilson Kanyago, the Governor of the Daystar University Nairobi Campus, describing them as representatives of students across universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
“Held a productive engagement with two young bright minds of our country… We spoke on the youth agenda and their involvement at the decision-making table,” Gachagua said. “To the young people of our country, I hear you and we shall build back our country.”
The engagement comes against a backdrop of heightened youth activism and economic anxiety, with young Kenyans increasingly demanding inclusion in policy formulation, access to jobs, and accountability in public leadership.
Student leaders have in recent months pushed for structured platforms that allow young people to contribute to national conversations on education reforms, employment creation, governance, and public finance. Analysts say political outreach to youth leaders reflects recognition of the demographic’s growing influence in elections and public discourse.
While Gachagua did not outline specific policy proposals from the meeting, his remarks emphasised participation rather than token consultation, a long-standing demand from youth groups who argue that decisions affecting education funding, student welfare, and the labour market are often made without their input.
Education and governance experts note that meaningful youth inclusion requires institutionalised mechanisms, not ad hoc engagements. These include representation in advisory boards, structured internship and apprenticeship pipelines, and clearer pathways from education into decent work.
The meeting also comes as universities and TVETs grapple with funding pressures, curriculum reforms under the competency-based education system, and concerns over graduate employability.
Student leaders have repeatedly called on political actors to move beyond rhetoric and support reforms that align training with market needs while protecting academic freedom.
Gachagua’s comments framed youth engagement as central to national renewal, echoing broader political messaging that positions young people as drivers of economic transformation rather than passive beneficiaries of policy.
Whether the engagement translates into sustained dialogue or concrete initiatives remains to be seen. For many students, the test will be whether such meetings lead to measurable inclusion in policy spaces where decisions on education, jobs, and governance are ultimately made.
