The Youth Agenda (YAA) is Kenya’s leading national youth-led civil society organization, established to advance meaningful youth participation in democratic governance, electoral reform, and civic life. Operating across all 47 counties, YAA works at the intersection of policy advocacy, community organizing, and institutional strengthening to shift youth from symbolic consultation to substantive inclusion in governance processes.
YAA’s programmatic work spans four core areas. First, civic education and electoral integrity, delivering structured civic literacy programs targeting youth, women, and persons with disabilities ahead of electoral cycles, including contributions to Kenya’s 2027 General Elections preparedness through the National Youth Manifesto process. Second, digital democracy and accountability, embedding technology-driven civic tools and digital rights frameworks into electoral monitoring and governance advocacy, informed by applied research on internet shutdowns and data governance in East Africa. Third, community organizing and participatory governance, convening the Nairobi Community of Practice and county-level platforms that connect grassroots youth organizers to national policy processes. Fourth, institutional strengthening, currently implementing the Kenya Institutional Strengthening Program funded by ELGIA , designed to build long-term organizational sustainability across Kenya’s youth-serving civil society ecosystem.
YAA operates through partnerships with Uraia Trust, ELGIA, ForumCiv, CARE International, and the Kenya Community Development Foundation, maintaining a multi-donor portfolio with national civic reach of over 64,000 participants annually. YAA also holds active roles within OGP Kenya, CSPEN, and the ELOG Technical Working Group, positioning youth governance priorities within Kenya’s broader democratic reform architecture.