Kenya has assumed the chairmanship of the Jobs for Youth in Africa (JfYA) Community of Practice (CoP) from Rwanda, stepping into a continental leadership role.

Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya accepted the mantle on Monday, at a Knowledge Exchange Summit in Nairobi, pledging to steer 20 African member states toward measurable results on youth jobs.

“On behalf of the Government of Kenya, I am deeply honoured to formally accept the chairmanship of the Jobs for Youth in Africa Community of Practice.

Kenya assumes this responsibility with humility, clarity of purpose, and unwavering commitment. We pledge to shift our collective focus firmly toward delivery, accountability, and results,” said Mvurya.

The CoP, backed by the World Bank and other development partners, operates as a continental platform for peer learning and scaling solutions to youth unemployment.

During its one-year tenure, Kenya says it will anchor its leadership on three pillars: market-responsive skills development, enterprise growth and data-driven accountability systems.

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Mvurya told delegates that over 60 per cent of Africa’s population is under the age of 25, leaving an annual youth employment gap of more than 10 million jobs across the continent.

“Investment in Africa’s young people is not merely a social intervention. It is the engine of economic growth, the anchor of stability, and the foundation of long-term cohesion across our continent. When we empower youth with skills, opportunity, and access to markets, we unlock Africa’s demographic dividend and transform it into productive capital,” noted Mvurya.

The Cabinet Secretary pointed to Kenya’s own programmes, including the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) scheme, the Digital Jobs Agenda known as Kazi Mtandaoni, and the Affordable Housing project, as models for the continent, claiming they contributed to approximately 1,807,000 jobs through public sector expansion and flagship interventions.

As incoming chair, Mvurya pressed the CoP to move beyond dialogue.

“Through the NYOTA program, Digital Jobs Agenda, Affordable Housing, Climare X and other legacy projects, thousands of young people are being trained, mentored and onboarded into public spaces and online work, business process outsourcing, and digital entrepreneurship,” said Mvurya.

The summit drew World Bank Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa Ndiamé Diop, Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs, representatives from member states, development partners, private sector leaders and youth delegates.

Kenya has committed to strengthening peer learning, harmonising standards and scaling evidence-based interventions across member states during its tenure.