Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has urged the Catholic Church to play a greater role in restoring hope among young people, warning that growing youth disillusionment and unemployment pose a bigger long-term security threat to the region than extremist groups.
Addressing Catholic bishops from across Eastern Africa at a regional conference in Nairobi on Monday, Sakaja said the Church's influence in education, healthcare and community development makes it a critical partner in addressing the challenges facing millions of young people.
"We are speaking at a time that is so critical because we have millions of young people in our region who have been visited by our economic times, who many times do not have hope, many times are looking at their elder siblings who are jobless," he said.
According to the latest modelled estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Kenya's youth unemployment rate among people aged 15 to 24 stood at about 15.2 per cent in 2025, underscoring the employment challenges facing young people even as the country seeks to expand economic opportunities.
Sakaja, who reflected on his own journey into leadership at a young age, said the region's youthful population should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a burden.
"As governor of Nairobi, I spend my days managing a city where literally more than half of the people I serve have not yet reached their 22nd birthday," he said, noting that Kenya's median age is about 21 years.
While acknowledging the need to create more jobs, the governor said the Church must remain "that place of solace that holds us together" by offering young people hope and guidance.
He praised the Catholic Church for its longstanding contribution to education, health and social services, saying its partnership with government would be essential in supporting vulnerable communities.
Sakaja also highlighted Nairobi County's school feeding programme as an example of youth-centred innovation. He said the initiative, supported by a digital system designed by young innovators, now feeds 320,000 children every day through 17 kitchens.
"Today, we feed 320,000 children every single day," he said. "It is bringing hope to this generation."
The governor added that the programme had significantly improved school attendance and academic performance, with attendance reaching nearly 100 per cent in participating schools.
Sakaja warned against the political exploitation of frustrated youth, arguing that unemployment and hopelessness create fertile ground for manipulation.
"The biggest security challenge in our region is not Al Shabab. It is not Al Qaeda. It is millions of disillusioned, disengaged young people, and we've seen them being misused locally by politicians," he said.
He urged religious leaders to help restore hope among young people, stressing that "leadership is not position; it is influence."
Calling on bishops to carry the message across the region, Sakaja said young people should no longer see themselves as leaders of tomorrow.
"We are leaders today," he said, urging the Church to remind young people "that they can call on leadership to change the future."