Deliberative conversation · Phase 1 · December 2024

The Youth Bill 2024

“What would you want included, changed or removed from the Youth Bill 2024?” zKe gathered young people’s views while the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy was collecting proposals.

When11 to 19 December 2024

Wherepol.is, X Spaces and social media

OutcomeMemorandum to the State Department for Youth Affairs

See what young people agreed on See the full results

At a glance

The conversation in numbers

564

people took part on pol.is

8,448

votes cast

215

statements written by participants

68%

of those who answered said they are Gen Z (272 of 399)

Source: pol.is, conversation 2hi2eyjwei.

Background

What the bill proposed

The Youth Bill 2024 is a government proposal presented as an answer to the challenges young people face, especially unemployment. It would replace the Youth Enterprise Development Fund with a new Youth Fund for innovation, livelihoods and entrepreneurship. The bill covered issues young people had raised with zKe, including jobs, access to resources and youth involvement in governance.

A Youth Fund

Replacing the Youth Enterprise Development Fund with a new fund for innovation, livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

Capacity building

Skills for employment, self-employment and sustainable livelihoods.

Talent

Identifying, nurturing and commercialising young people’s talents, including in the creative economy.

A youth registrar

An office to register youth organisations and keep a database.

Creative awards

An award scheme for the creative industries.

What young people agreed on

A seat at the table, and skills for the digital economy

These statements had the highest group-informed consensus, in both opinion groups.

The most agreed statements, in participants’ own words

AgreedDisagreedPassed

“The youth bill should establish mechanisms for direct youth participation in governance and decision-making. Currently it lacks this.”

94%3%3%

94% agreed · 3% disagreed · 159 people voted

“Inclusion of clear accountability and evaluation metrics.”

94%1%5%

94% agreed · 1% disagreed · 155 people voted

“The bill should focus on equipping youth with digital skills and creating opportunities for digital jobs for the youth”

93%3%4%

93% agreed · 3% disagreed · 160 people voted

“Considering that youth make up the majority of Kenya’s population, shouldn’t all laws prioritize inclusivity and address their unique challenges? This bill, in particular, should include mechanisms to ensure direct youth participation in governance and decision-making processes.”

94%1%5%

94% agreed · 1% disagreed · 154 people voted

“Youth Fund vs Youth Enterprise Development Fund: Both aim to support entrepreneurship. Instead of creating a new fund, addressing challenges like accessibility and governance in the existing fund may generate better results.”

91%2%7%

91% agreed · 2% disagreed · 167 people voted

Source: pol.is conversation 2hi2eyjwei, 564 participants.

Young people wanted the bill to give them a direct role in governance, to focus on digital skills and jobs, and to include clear accountability and evaluation measures. Many argued there was no need for a new fund: the youth ministry should first fix the problems with the existing fund, or the new one would suffer the same fate.

How pol.is works

On pol.is, people write short statements in answer to the question and vote agree, disagree or pass on statements written by others. pol.is then groups people who vote in similar ways, so we can see both what most people agree on and where opinions divide.

A statement with high “group-informed consensus” is one that people agree on even when they disagree on other things. A divisive statement has strong support in one group and strong opposition in another. Percentages on this page are of the people who voted on each statement; the rest passed.

Where views split

Reserve sub-chief posts for youth?

“Sub-chief position should be reserved for the youth”

AgreedDisagreedPassed

Group A (53 people)

235225

48 voted

Group B (249 people)

721711

200 voted

Source: pol.is conversation 2hi2eyjwei. Share of each group who voted on the statement.

Overall, 64% of those who voted agreed that sub-chief posts should be reserved for young people. But the two groups saw it very differently: most of the larger Group B agreed, while most of Group A disagreed.

On air and online

X Spaces on the bill

The Youth Serving Organization hosted an X Space, “The Youth Bill 2024: What is it in for young people?”, on 15 December 2024, which 963 people tuned in to.

Speakers wanted the bill to create jobs and support youth entrepreneurship, to widen access to education and vocational training, and to include young people in decisions. They also called for mental health support and safe spaces for young people, and urged youth to take part in protecting the environment.

X post from the Youth Serving Organization announcing the X Space The Youth Bill 2024: What is it in for young people?, 963 tuned in — The Youth Serving Organization’s X Space, 15 December 2024.

Listen to the X Space on the Youth Bill 2024

X Space, December 2024

Explore the themes from the discussion

Talk to the City report

Last chance to give your views on the Youth Bill 2024. What should you know about it? Nerima Wako-Ojiwa explains

zKe on X, 19 December 2024

zKe video on the Youth Bill 2024

zKe on TikTok

What happened next

A memorandum to the State Department

zKe submitted a second memorandum with key recommendations from the public deliberation on the Youth Bill. Kenya’s Ministry of Youth Affairs acknowledged receipt.

zKe monthly report, December 2024

zKe collated and analysed the contributions from the X Spaces and the pol.is conversation, and submitted the memorandum to the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy.

See every statement and vote

The pol.is report shows all 215 statements and how the two opinion groups voted.

See the full results All conversations

Keep reading

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