Daily life for young people living along the margins of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest exists in the shadow of a massive ecological resource they are largely barred from shaping.
While the reserve remains a critical biodiversity hotspot along the East African coast, surrounding communities in Kilifi County face persistent youth unemployment and economic pressure. Decisions regarding resource access, conservation rules, and local revenue sharing have historically been dictated through top-down administrative structures, leaving local residents sidelined.
“Most of the youth and most of the community actually do not know that it is their right to benefit from the forest,” says Madaraka Katana, field coordinator for the Sauti za Arabuko project. “We need to inform them that this forest belongs to us, and we are supposed to benefit from it.”
A recent two-day workshop in Watamu sought to address these systemic gaps by shifting young residents from passive observers to active participants in resource governance. Organized under the Sauti za Arabuko project a youth-led initiative funded by the European Union through FEMNET, Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), and the SDGs Kenya Forum the session brought together local youth leaders, community representatives, forest rangers, and research personnel.
Information Deficits and Political Barriers
For many living near the reserve, the primary hurdle to civic engagement is not a lack of interest, but a lack of access. Public notices for official planning meetings rarely reach local youth networks in time, leaving residents unprepared to contribute to county budget or environmental planning sessions.
“In our local communities, the biggest challenge is the lack of information,” explains Ashleyna Kazungu, an environmental activist from Kilifi County. “Most of the time, we do not get information when these forums are being undertaken.”
Kazungu points out that when young people do manage to attend public consultations, their voices are frequently compromised by political manipulation and tokenism. Leaders sometimes distribute small cash handouts to local youth, effectively stifling genuine critique and preventing residents from raising ground-level challenges.
To counter these dynamics, participants were trained in policy tracking, public participation procedures, legal monitoring, and drafting formal memorandums.
“From this training, I plan to engage more youth and share the information gathered here,” Kazungu says. “We will go into the communities as ambassadors… and hold leaders accountable by visiting their offices and attending forums to present our challenges directly.”
Bridging Law Enforcement and Technical Research
The initiative also aims to reduce friction between residents and state enforcement bodies. Kenya Forest Service (KFS) stations at Sokoke and Jilore manage daily patrols, boundary protection, and licensing across the reserve. Tensions frequently arise when access rules are unclear or poorly communicated.
Joseph Kanundu, a representative of Friends of Arabuko who works alongside KFS and the Kenya Wildlife Service, notes that legal enforcement alone cannot protect the ecosystem.
“What we request from enforcement is proper patrol support, but we also need to work directly with the community,” Kanundu says. “Using established regulatory procedures allows the community to benefit from conservation while keeping the forest safe.”
Technical institutions are similarly recognizing the need to integrate youth into high-level policy discussions rather than restricting them to physical labor. Boniface Omurwa, a forester representing the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), highlighted the importance of translating scientific research into community advocacy tools like legal briefs and scorecards.
“For a long period, youth have been involved mainly in technical and physical work,” Omurwa says. “It is high time we engage youth directly in restoration policy. Youth should sit on decision-making panels.”
Issa Haji, Inspector at the KFS Gede Station, states that state officers rely on local cooperation to safeguard the reserve.
“The community neighboring the forest plays a role in protecting and conserving the resource,” Inspector Haji says. “They also gain direct incentives from permitted economic activities, including beekeeping and butterfly farming.”
Next Steps for Regional Governance
According to project lead Emmanuel Gona, youth participation in statutory public forums across Kilifi currently sits below 20 percent. The Sauti za Arabuko project aims to use trained leaders across Watamu, Dabaso, and Matsangoni wards to capture community concerns and establish a permanent multi-stakeholder platform.
Following the Watamu session, participants planned to track public participation schedules for upcoming Kilifi County budget hearings and establish community monitoring teams across the three target wards.
Project organizers state they will track whether youth attendance at municipal planning forums increases above the current estimated 20 percent baseline over the next six months.