Abstract:
Socio-economic transformation among the youth falls into three periods namely the precolonial, colonial and post-colonial phases. The study objective was to establish the influence of the youth on socio-economic change since independence. The study employed a descriptive research design. The sample was taken from Kakamega Municipality. It comprised included 30 informants, all above 18 years. The informants included 15 youths and 15 youth leaders. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select the informants. The study used primary data where the interview schedule was used to collect data. A qualitative technique was used to analyze the data. The study was guided by the critical social theory of youth empowerment, a perspective that is oriented towards critiquing and changing society as a whole. The study established that the youth participated in activities such as environmental conservation, business enterprise and capacity-building, cultural and cross-cutting issues, and that youth activity was geared towards solving economic, social, environmental, and political challenges facing them. The findings will provide additional material to the scanty existing literature on youth socio-economic transformation and also information that governments and donors need in enhancing youth’s participation in development in Kenya and globally, with a view to creating a safe environment and encouraging meaningful participation and engagement of the youths in the community.
