Hoja de ruta para la participación de los jóvenes en la política en África Oriental 2026-2030
06-08-2026
5 minutos
“Young people are not passive beneficiaries of democracy. They are its custodians.”
Written by young leaders from Ethiopia, Somaliland, Uganda, and Kenya, and launched in Addis Ababa in July 2026, the Roadmap is a collective call to move beyond symbolic inclusion. Two things now carry that call forward. The Youth Advocacy Toolkit turns the Roadmap’s vision into a practical framework, guiding young advocates through setting priorities, building strategies, and engaging decision-makers. And in each of the four countries, a Country Action Plan sets out how the Roadmap’s commitments translate into national reforms, shaped by that country’s own politics, laws and election calendar. Together, they move the Roadmap from a shared regional vision to action on the ground.
About the Roadmap
East Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world, and across the region young people hold barely any of the seats where decisions get made. This Roadmap is more than a policy document: it is a collective call to action; written by the people it affects.
Young leaders from Ethiopia, Somaliland, Uganda, and Kenya came together to launch it in Addis Ababa in July 2026, building on work that began in Malindi in 2025. It urges governments to move beyond symbolic inclusion, asks political parties to open up their structures and invest in young leaders, calls on development partners to fund youth-led change for the long term, and pushes civil society, media, and the private sector to back what comes next.
The era of tokenism and fragmented effort has to end. This Roadmap sets out how, take a look.
Meet the Youth Ambassadors
Four Youth Ambassadors lead the Roadmap forward in their own countries: Sultan Kassim Genna in Ethiopia, Peter Edwin Muriu in Kenya, Nasra Ali Mohamed in Somaliland, and Ankunda Trassyleen in Uganda. Reprensenting the NIMD Democracy School alumni who wrote the Roadmap they now carry the work of turning it into national action.
Find out more about each Youth Ambassador below.
Nasra Ali Mohamed
Youth Ambassador for Somaliland
Nasra is a youth political activist, and a member of the Waddani ruling party. She is also the Co-Founder of the Somaliland Women in Education and Academia Network (SWEAN), advancing women’s political leadership and educational empowerment.
What this process has meant to me:
“Contributing to the East Africa Youth in Politics Roadmap has reinforced my conviction that youth-led collaboration is essential to shaping democratic and inclusive governance across our region.”
Sultan Kassim Genna
Youth Ambassador for Ethiopia
Sultan is an Attorney at Law, Deputy Managing Partner at Faana Law Firm, academic, and rising political leader with over 19 years of experience advancing justice, human rights, and inclusive governance in Ethiopia. He founded and leads the Ethiopian Visionary Leaders Association (EVLA), an alumni network of NIMD Ethiopia’s Democracy Academy, and serves as Head of Public Relations and Executive Committee Member for the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC). He lectures at Haramaya University and is a PhD candidate at Addis Ababa University.
What this process has meant to me:
“Co-creating this Roadmap alongside fellow young leaders has been a profoundly empowering journey, proving that when East Africa’s youth are trusted as the authors of policy rather than just its subjects, we can forge actionable pathways to transform our immense demographic potential into genuine, inclusive political power.”
Ankunda Trassyleen
Youth Ambassador for Uganda
Trassyleen is an African Civic Engagement Leader and Lawyer committed to inclusive Governance, meaningful political engagement and Gender Justice by advancing SDGs 5 and 16 through peace, Justice and strong Institutions in EAC and across Africa.
What this process has meant to me:
“Shifting youth from the margins to the center of decision-making and party structures- socially economically and politically.”
Peter Edwin Muriu
Youth Ambassador for Kenya
Peter is a procurement and supply chain management professional, youth leader, and democracy advocate from Kenya. Peter is also the Chairman of the Wiper Patriotic Front Comrades Chapter and is passionate about strengthening democratic governance, inclusive leadership, and empowering young people to influence public policy and decision making. Alongside this he is co-founder of community-based organisation the Kenya Youth Foundation.
What this process has meant to me:
“Being part of the Roadmap for Youth in Politics has shown me that when young people are trusted and given a platform, they can shape practical, inclusive solutions that strengthen democracy and inspire lasting political change across the region.”
From Roadmap to Action
Five years of commitments from governments, parties, development partners, civil society, media, and the private sector, in the words of the young leaders who wrote it.
A practical companion for turning the Roadmap's asks into local advocacy was developed in the form of an Advocacy tool. Designed for framing, to offer talking points, and entry points for engaging decision-makers in your own context.
Each country translates the regional Roadmap into a national action plan with its own targets and timeline.
