Youths Agitate for Drug‑Free, Jobs Ahead of International Youth Day

By Mbungu Harrison

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Nyali, Mombasa: As International Youth Day draws close for August 12, 2025, Nyali youths through community advocates and Alfayo Nelson Hope Foundation have launched a campaign demanding for transformative leadership and deal with persistent drug addiction and unemployment issues.

According to Alfayo the youth concerns must be prioritised if real progress is to be achieved.

“Our youth need to feel seen and heard so they can vote with hope.”

The foundation continues to expand initiatives in education, entrepreneurship training, and women’s empowerment since its launch in 2022.

Addressing rehabilitation and prevention efforts, he proposed tougher enforcement against both drug suppliers and users.

He insists that Nyali should not be a marketplace for narcotics, but a community where young people engage in meaningful development.

“We urge authorities to arrest drug dealers. This is about protecting our youth.”

The director also warned that partisan politics undermine development projects.

“Leadership must serve the community, not political interests.”

Prominent youth leaders like Samson Otieno and Diana Ogoe rallied residents to make informed decisions at the ballot box.

Highlighting drug abuse, unemployment, and poor leadership as defining local challenges, Otieno urged young voters to “choose our own youth to lead us to the next level.”

This local push in Nyali reflects a broader national surge in youth activism in Kenya.

Generation Z has been at the forefront of protests demanding accountability and governance reforms through protests sparked by rejection of the 2024 Finance Bill.

The generation also resisted police brutality have drawn thousands into the streets.

Some of these protests resulted in clashes that claimed dozens of lives and hundreds of arrests across the country.

At the county level, Mombasa leaders have acknowledged the link between widespread youth unemployment and drug use.

They called on government and private sectors to prioritize job creation for young people.

Nyali is known for youth-led civic engagements and local grassroots efforts, including past ambassador programmes that have empowered young people to participate in governance and advocate for better leadership in Mombasa

Young Cities.

As August approaches, the foundation’s strategy meeting sets the stage for a wave of youth-driven civic initiatives in Nyali.

These efforts—centered on rehabilitation, dialogue, and political participation—are grounded in the belief that lasting change must come from responsible leadership and collective action.

Youths in Nyali are mobilising ahead of International Youth Day to demand leadership that prioritises jobs and fights drug abuse.

The Hope Foundation is expanding youth‑focused projects and advocating for strict legal enforcement targeting dealers.