Background

The Uzalendo ‘Youth Patriots’ project is an offshoot of a broader Youth Alive! Kenya’s Youth leadership Programme implemented in the year 2008 in Nairobi and Kisumu cities of Kenya. The project was developed in response to the increasing disillusionment of the Kenyan citizenry especially young people with the public policy process. Core areas of concerns include failed leadership that has become unresponsive to public priorities and insensitive to the prevailing economic and social and political conditions. Also of concern are the weak public system and institutional structures that are unable to ensure the effective delivery of services and are ineffective in stemming corruption and promoting accountability. Compounded by lack of information and general apathy by youth to public policy processes, there has been a growing need for action to reorient the direction public policy to ensure it addresses the needs and priorities of the public.