REPUBLIC OF KENYA

COMMUNIQUE TO THE CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES & REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
DURING THE 2nd NATIONAL YOUTH GREEN GROWTH SUMMIT 2015
Youth as Active Partners to Drive the Green Growth Agenda in Kenya 6th -9th October, 2015
held at Multimedia University, Nairobi, Kenya.

We, the youth of Kenya, participating at the 2nd National Youth Green
Growth Summit 2015; approve and adopt the following communiqu:
ACKNOWLEDGING the adoption of the UN Sustainable development
(SDGs) by UN Member States in New York about 2 weeks ago;
NOTING THAT the youth comprise more than 65% of the population of
Kenya;
AFFIRMING THAT we are active partners in the drive towards a Green
Growth Agenda in Kenya;
TAKING COGNIZANT THAT the youth play a key role in development
processes at both the National and County levels; and that the
innovativeness of Kenyas youth cannot be overstated;
AWARE THAT within the overall concept of sustainable development,
the concept of a green economy has established itself on a global level
as the new environmental guiding principle anchored within your
Ministry;
NOTING THAT;
a) There is little doubt that Kenyas economy is troubled as a result of
mans influence and effects on the environment, thus contributing to
climate change and ecosystems depletion.

b) Kenyas environment has been affected due to unsustainable natural

resource management both locally and globally, and has significantly
affected many different aspects of the eco-system and;
c) THAT there is increasing evidence level that strong youth
involvement/participation is needed.
GUIDED BY SDG 4; by 2030, there is need to ensure that all learners
acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development, including, among others, through education for
sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights,
gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence,
global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of cultures
contribution to sustainable development;
SHARE a common but saddening message that unsustainable economic
growth is not the way to go and that we must now engage in
sustainable development and in addition green economy; through
effective youth involvement and engagement;
PRIVY to the fact that green growth prospects are dependent on local
conditions, scale and scope of the efforts we undertake, with
prospective adverse costs linked to competition for natural resources;
IN THE realization that Kenyas National Development Strategies and
County Integrated Development Plans are premeditated and subjected
to careful observation to enhance their impacts on service delivery; the
need to integrate the green growth tools in these strategies is
inevitable to spur growth and development at both levels.
HEREBY consider and agree on the following;
1. THAT we adopt the definition of green growth, in the context of
Kenya, to refer to a shift towards a development path that promotes
resource efficiency and sustainable management of natural resources,
social inclusion, resilience, Sustainable production and consumption,
Green jobs, Renewable energies and sustainable infrastructure
development;
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2. THAT we will undertake to promote policies and programmes

supportive of a green growth and address the need for renewable
energy, resource-efficiency, cleaner production, wise use, pollution
control and waste management, leadership and governance, and
restoration of degraded ecosystems.
3. THAT we will affirm, cognizant of the challenges facing us today, and
be committed to initiating and supporting strategies geared towards a
transition to a green economy in line with the outcome of the United
Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) held in
September 2015 with decent and green jobs being a priority;
4. THAT, the youth of Kenya will seek to mobilize our peers and
colleagues, through the County youth Green Growth Seminars, to act
now! by embracing smart solutions to local development questions and
sharing through Inter-County Youth Fora to reduce the already
inevitable impacts of unsustainable growth;
5. AGREEING THAT action towards sustainable growth cataracts
directly on our shoulders, the young people; WE COMMIT to engage in
the International, National and County Frameworks and on this, WE will
not wait any longer;
6. THAT partnerships are key to any development engagement and
that the youth, on their own, cannot fix sustainability demands, WE
aspire to jointly assume personal and collaborative leadership
accountability and responsibility in ensuring that actions by national
and county governments do not exacerbate the already worsening
situation, but support the means to fight back in own backyards.
7. THAT the success of the National Green Economy Strategy depends
on us. We therefore AFFIRM that sustainable growth is a basic creed of
the Kenya Vision 2030 and the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and COMMIT
to UPHOLD, EMBRACE AND PROTECT the Constitutional requirement
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for a clean and healthy environment as a basic human right and

provision for sustainable exploitation, utilization, management and
conservation of the environment and natural resources;
8. THAT there is a need to ensure that youth empowerment
programmes are designed to facilitate youth transition to the green
economy consistent with the youth development programmes and
priorities. Green growth provides youths with an avenue for functional
interaction between governance, economy and youth as active
partners in development agenda.
9. THAT WE will strive to acquire requisite knowledge and skills needed
to promote green growth through technology & innovation, that
enhance sustainable lifestyles, human rights, equality, equity, peace,
co-existence and diversity;
10. THAT WE will engage in activities that promote green growth
through capacity building, sharing of experiences, creating
partnerships and networking;
11. THAT to acquire the necessary results, WE understand the need for a
defined public participation framework as envisaged under Article 69
(d) that acknowledges the role of public participation (youths) in
democratic governance and green growth under devolved governance
system and in other elements of Kenyas governance structure;
12. THAT due to increased climate variability, the growing water crisis,
the diminishing soil productivity and fisheries and the unprecedented
loss of invaluable biological diversity across our counties, WE will
PROTECT the on which we all depend;
RECOMMEND;
13. THAT the increasing national trend toward decentralization be
opened up; so that the political and economic space for youths to play
a more active policy and development influencing role;
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14. THAT while there is still much to be done in ensuring that the youths
feature in all planning and decision making platforms, it is hard to
overstate the importance of young people in sustainable County
development;
15. THAT as the Counties continue to address the challenges of
unsustainable development at local level, with political will
reinvigorated by devolution, the youth will actively engage and partner
with county governments to ensure successful attainment of green
growth goals;
16. THAT the increasing impacts of climate change and urbanization;
the impending water crisis; the over-exploitation of the forests, wildlife
and other natural resources: all demand innovative thinking, new
approaches, and the capacity to implement them which the YOUTH
WILL provide;
17. THAT sustainable development sometimes means strengthening
legal and policy infrastructure, sometimes it means developing new
institutional frameworks, sometimes it means sharing appropriate
technology but the key need is mutual collaboration with a growing
family of young people in formulation of development strategies;
18. THAT there is need for youths to highlight green growth as a
priority for planning and finance, and providing the political case for
multi-sectoral youth engagement. The Kenya Youth Network on
Sustainable Development, under the umbrella of the National Youth
Green Growth Secretariat, is already to provide the formal high-level
forum for much-needed strategic policy debate on matters of green
growth.
19. THAT a stable and prosperous Kenya will need more food, more
energy and more water, all critical factors of production which directly
derive from well-managed natural resources thus the need for a youth
led green growth framework.
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20. THAT, Strengthening and partnering with the National Youth Green
growth SECRETARIAT to spearhead the Green Growth Agenda in Kenya
in partnership with your Ministry will catalyze the process of Achieving
Sustainable Growth in Kenya.
LIST OF PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
1. Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Authorities
2. Ministry of Devolution and Planning
3. Kenya Youth Network for Sustainable Development
4. Insatep International
5. Leadership & Sustainability Africa
6. The Council of Governors
7. National Youth Council
8. Kenya Forest Service
9. Kenya Metrological Department (MET)
10. National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND)
11. Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA)
12. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
13. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
14. United Nations Millennium Campaign Kenya (UNMC)
15. Stockholm Environment Institute Kenya (SEI)
16. Care International in Kenya
17. Chandaria Foundation
18. World Wide Fund for Nature Kenya (WWF)
19. National Environment Management Authority(NEMA)
20. Kenya Wildlife Clubs of Kenya
21. Heinrich Bll Foundation Kenya
22. Kenya Water Towers Agency
23. Kenya National Commission for UNESCO
24. Kenya Climate Innovation Centre
25. Kenyatta University
26. Mount Kenya University
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27. Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU)

28. Masinde Muriro University
29. Catholic University of Eastern Africa
30. Brand Kenya Board
31. Technical University of Kenya (TUK)
32. World Students Community for Sustainable Dev.
33. Daystar University
34. Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)
35. Alternatives Kenya
36. Inspiration Kenya
37. Kenya Youth Empowerment Programme
38. Alpham Fresh farm
39. Global Peace Foundation
40. Raslimali Enterprise Ltd
41. County Governance Watch
42. ICGLR Civil Society Reps Kenya

Counties that Participated

1. Nairobi County

15. Bomet County

2. Kiambu County

16. Kilifi County

3. Narok County

17. Kitui County

4. Busia County

18. Makueni County

5. Kisii County

19. Migori County

6. Mandera County

20. Siaya County

7. Laikipia County

21. Kericho County

8. Turkana County
9. Tana-River County
10. Trans-nzoia County
11. Bungoma County
12. Lamu County
13. Embu County
14. Baringo County
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