SOS Children's Villages Kenya national director Walter Odiambo, State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy principal secretary Fikirini Jacobs and SOS Children's Kenya Vice board chair David Kiambi during the National care leavers dialogue forum at Panari Hotel, Nairobi on September 15, 2026/LEAH MUKANGAI
Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs has thanked the late Raila Odinga for spotting his potential, while young people leaving alternative care called for structured aftercare support.
Jacobs spoke at the Care Leavers Dialogue 2026 at Panari Hotel, Nairobi, on September 15.
The forum was organised by SOS Children’s Villages Kenya under its Leave No Youth Behind project.
“I thank posthumously the late Raila Amolo Odinga, who held my hand when nobody would see value in me, and personally introduced me to the President, who in turn appreciated the same value that Baba had seen in me,” Fikirini said.
“And that’s why I make it possible to write history as the youngest principal secretary in the history of this country.”
Fikirini urged employers and officials to trust young people with energy and vision.
He noted that 75.1 per cent of Kenya’s population is under 35 and praised SOS for bridging “the gap between learning and earning” through skills development.
He cited young innovators from the Blue Economy Conference in Mombasa, some of whom were present at the forum, and directed coordinators to help them register with the National Industrial Training Authority as master craftsmen.
“Skilling is one of the avenues that stands as a soft pathway for a majority of young people,” he said.
“Please fly with them. As a State Department, our doors are very open to support you.”
Despite such gains, care leavers described gaps in support after leaving institutional care.
One care leaver described the transition period, saying: “One of the biggest gaps that is always there is that there is no go-back after care support.”
They explained that young people face confusion when preparing for life decisions, including which institution to approach for support.
“Many of them sometimes even feel like they did actually leave the institution, but the institution left them, because this was a critical moment where they felt like they needed more support.”
The care leavers called for a policy framework to guide support after young people leave care.
“If we could have a policy, a framework that just guides on that, then it becomes easier even now for the institutions.”
Across Kenya, over 845 registered charitable institutions house tens of thousands of children, but care leavers said support can become limited when they turn 18.
Stanley Hari of the National Council for Children’s Services said reforms aim to transition care rather than abandon children.
“The government is not closing CCIs it is transitioning care," he said.
“Care is a process, not an event."
He stressed that care should not stop after a child transitions and support disappears.
Regarding policy, Hari assured participants that “the voice of careleavers should inform what is working, what is not working; their voices should inform policies, standards, programme design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.”
He also urged the establishment of clear referral pathways.
SOS official Pascal Mailu, under whose docket the 'Leave No Youth Behind' project falls, warned that some Charitable Children’s Institutions foster dependency.
He advocated robust care plans from admission and maintaining family connections.
“We also need to make sure that we do not disconnect these children from their families and communities of origin because the more we disconnect them, transitioning them back becomes a very big challenge.”
Care leavers also called for mentorship.
“We should not assume that care leavers know it all. They need somebody to guide them.”
Another care leaver noted that growing up in a facility without male role models and strong family connections directly affects their ability to raise families of their own.
“It’s very hard to become something you never saw as you grew up.”
They called for recognition as a Special Interest Group, saying they face unique challenges unlike their counterparts who have grown in "regular" families.
Fikirini identified mental health and substance abuse as urgent concerns. Having visited all 47 counties in one year and four months, he said one area records “around 10 cases per month” of suicide, while another location sees “six cases of suicide in every month.”
He linked the reported cases to drug addiction and gambling, noting that some young people bet school fees.
Fikirini said six policies are being explored, including a youth policy and creative economy bill. He added that piracy costs Kenya about $22 billion.
He acknowledged that information for care leavers is “improperly coordinated” and pledged to upscale aftercare support.
He said the council’s database would be used in his office for “integration and citizenship,” not routine identification.
The dialogue concluded with a call for care and support to continue until care leavers thrive.
