Kenyan representatives to the African Youth Commission unveiled

The Africa Youth Commission (AYC) that represents the youth affairs at the African Union (AU) on Wednesday launched the Kenya consortium at an event held at the Africa Wildlife Foundation in Karen, Nairobi.

In an event presided over nominated senator Gideon Keter, the commission which serves as the youth envoy at the AU sought to deliberate on issues affecting the youth among them unemployment.

Speaking during the event, Keter asked the organization to coordinate with grassroots organizations so as to get to the bottom of the real issues affecting the locals.

After the deliberations, the AYC, which was founded in 2013, is now expected to forward the challenges of all member countries to the AU secretariat.

The organization has also representation from the Kenya youth senate to act as a reference organization to AYC.

The Africa Youth Commission official Kambi Dembo from Gambia said African youth possess enough skills and ability to address their own problems.

“This organization was founded in 2013 and we are committed to work with national organizations in varied African countries so that we are able to collect local challenges and address at a continent level because we have done research and realized that the problems haunting African youth are the same,” Dembo said

AYC has  its headquarters in Banjul Gambia and it ensures youth inclusion in Political affairs, Trade and Industry, Infrastructure & Energy, Social, Economic and Environmental Affairs, Gender, Agriculture and Rural Economy, African Diaspora and External Affairs and Human Resources, Science, Technology and Innovation.

The AYC is working in Kenya with Youth Senate, an organization that has been actively championing for youth inclusion as the first member organization in the country.

Keter, who is the Youth Senate President, said the era of relying on donors and foreigners for solution to problems affecting local youth is over.

He challenged the AYC leadership to work closely with youth organization and leaders of all member countries and avoid online researches so that the real issues are forwarded to African Union.

“It is unfortunate that we are the main market for developed countries but still they are overlooking us. I have noticed that many developed countries have never allowed our air tickets to fly directly into their countries for unknown reasons. These are some of the issues that young leadership should look into” he said.