Development of all nations is characterized by difficulties that need creativity and youth to pitch in. The Ajibika leadership program is an innovative Initiative that seeks to bypass this issue by encouraging effective youth participation in governance and decision making. Ajibika leadership program, a program under the Africa Youth leadership Forum Kenya, hopes to empower citizens to be effective participants and change agents by enhancing their understanding of government planning, budgeting, and resource utilization.

Democracies are fast becoming younger and younger as more and more young people take control of the political reins as the current ones pass on. They are able to have new ideas, vigor and inventiveness that are necessary to the solving of existing problems. Still, plenty of barriers prevent young people from utilizing their capacity. This is the reason why they appreciate the bright energy that youth always bring and why they want to equip them with everything in order to involve them in the democratic movement

Key Objectives of Ajibika

• Creating Awareness: This program tries to make the youth aware of government planning, budgeting, and resource utilization. When the youths are knowledgeable about the manner through which decisions are taken in government and how public resources are allocated, it makes for greater citizenship.
• Creating Accessible Platforms: This has been a program that allows for accessible platforms through which information about government decisions gets relayed to the citizens. It is important in ensuring that young people are more informed about the issues happening around them and contributing to public debate.
• Accountable Governance: Ajibika will also be advocating for accountable governance through media engagement, Ongoing City Forums in different regions of the Country (Mombasa, Eldoret, Nairobi and Embu), Public lectures and Community Barazas. Transparency, accountability, and participation; therefore, responsiveness to people’s needs is what this program insists should come out from the government.
• Establish a youth led Think Tank: A think tank will be set up to educate the public on governance processes. Through this platform, young people will have space to engage in needed research, analyze government policies, and come up with workable solutions to immediate challenges.

Ajibika Strategies

Ajibika has and still will apply numerous strategies in the implementation of its ambitious goals; This may include but not limited to.

• Capacity Building: The program has offered training and availed opportunities for mentorship to equip the youth with proper skills and knowledge that shall be helpful in their participation in governance.
• Partnerships: Ajibika leadership program has also partnered with government agencies, organizations in civil society, and institutions of higher learning in order to tap into their wealth of expertise and resources.
• Public Engagement: Public forums and lectures, debates, and discussions have been  created by the program in order to provide dialogue between young people and government officials.
• Social Media Campaigns: Ajibika has utilized social media to reach out and amplify the voice of the youth.

Expected Impact

Ajibika Leadership Program has the potential to make quite an impact in Kenya’s democratic space. Mobilizing the youth into active governance, Ajibika leadership program in it’s second year has; 

• Improved Governance: An aware and engaged citizenry is more able to hold the government accountable for better services.
• Encouraged Innovation: Empowerd young people to bring to social challenges fresh ideas with new solutions.
• Strengthened Democracy: This could be one way in which there will be more social cohesion and stability because of increased democratic participation especially with the GenZs, in which they are the fellows that have benefited from the program.

Ajibika is an idea whose time has come and is bound to transform the political landscape of Kenya. The program offers a window of opportunity for young people’s development to become active actors in governance toward a just, fair, and democratic society. It further presents an opportunity to be part of this great journey as an Ajibika fellow and to create a lifetime impact in society.