Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has announced Kenya’s assumption of the Chairmanship of the Jobs for Youth in Africa Community of Practice (CoP), with a commitment to addressing youth unemployment across the continent.
The leadership transition from Rwanda was officially declared during the CoP Knowledge Exchange Summit held in Nairobi. This platform unites 20 African Member States, supported by the World Bank and other development partners, to facilitate knowledge exchange and expand proven youth employment solutions.
Upon accepting the leadership role, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya emphasized Kenya’s dedication to achieving concrete outcomes.
“On behalf of the Government of Kenya, I am deeply honored to formally accept the Chairmanship of the Jobs for Youth in Africa Community of Practice,” Mvurya stated. “Kenya embraces this responsibility with humility, clear objectives, and steadfast commitment. We intend to redirect our collective emphasis firmly toward execution, responsibility, and tangible results.”
Mvurya highlighted the critical need for coordinated continental efforts, noting that over 60 percent of Africa’s population is under 25 years old, with an annual youth employment deficit exceeding 10 million jobs.
“Investing in Africa’s youth is not merely a social measure; it serves as the catalyst for economic expansion, the pillar of stability, and the basis for lasting unity throughout our continent,” he explained. “When we equip young people with skills, opportunities, and market access, we realize Africa’s demographic advantage and convert it into productive resources.”
During its one-year leadership period, Kenya will guide the CoP through three strategic focus areas: skills development aligned with market needs, enterprise expansion as a catalyst for job creation, and enhanced data-driven accountability systems.
The Cabinet Secretary referenced Kenya’s own youth employment initiatives as practical models of scalable solutions, mentioning programs such as NYOTA, Digital Jobs Agenda (Kazi Mtandaoni), Affordable Housing, and Climare X.
“Through these initiatives, thousands of young individuals are being trained, mentored, and integrated into public sector roles and online employment, business process outsourcing, and digital entrepreneurship, contributing to approximately 1,807,000 jobs generated through public sector growth and flagship programs,” he detailed.
Kenya also committed to strengthening peer learning among Member States, standardizing practices, and implementing evidence-based policies to ensure the CoP advances “beyond discussions to measurable outcomes.”
The Nairobi summit welcomed senior government representatives, private sector executives, youth delegates, and Ndiamé Diop, Regional Vice President of the World Bank for Eastern and Southern Africa.