My name is Suleiman Musa Deche, a 22 Year old Youth from Waa-Ngombeni, Kwale County. I am a member of the South Coast University Students Organization- SCUSO and the chairman of Kwale youth Council.

Personally, I feel privileged to have led my team in the process of coming up with the Kwale Youth CIDP Memorandum 2018-2022. Honestly, this was my very first time participating in such a process which to me has been transformative, eye-opening and commemorative! The roundtable discussions with senior county government officials including the County Executive Member for Finance & Economic Planning Hon Bakari Sebe, the Chairperson Budget & Economic Forum Mbwana Mtengo, the county director of budget Athman Mwatunza, the youth representative in the budget and economic forum, Bibi Masha, were informative and thought provoking. We looked at our strengths as youth, the opportunities within government and challenges and weaknesses amongst the youth and within the government that we need to address in the next 5 year development plan. Whereas the County Executive member for Finance & Economic Planning appreciated our concerns, he also challenged our attitude towards business. Personally I have taken the challenge positively and it will not be long before I register my own company. As a young architect I look forward to doing profitable business with the county government of Kwale especially if our views on trade, manufacturing and industrialisation will be taken seriously as proposed in the youth CIDP Memorandum.

The process of collecting views from the Kwale youths was well organized. From the whatsapp group platform to the main forum that convened youth representatives from each of the Kwale County wards at Kombani Social Hall.  I did not expect such active and overwhelming participation of the Kwale youth in the whatsapp forums. Indeed, the Kwale youth has awoken. Kwale County is made up of a youthful population which with the right leadership, policies and resources can turn into a valuable resource to spur the county’s economic growth, counter violent extremism, abuse of drugs and development of youth gangs.

On behalf of the youth CIDP Memorandum leadership team, the South Coast University Students Organization, the larger Kwale youth population and on my own behalf, I sincerely thank Ummah Initiative and the United States Agency for International Development -USAID, for facilitating the youth CIDP Memorandum 2018 – 2022 process through the SCORE program. A new beginning has been created and with the youth taking their constitutional space and playing their roles in devolution Kwale County shall never be the same again!