As the We Lead program concludes its five-year tenure in Kenya, its impact is far from over. This transformative initiative has sparked a youth-led revolution in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), placing young women and adolescent girls at the forefront of advocacy, access, and policy change across the nation.
A recent national close-out event in Nairobi brought together diverse voices from Nairobi, Siaya, Kisii, Kilifi, Turkana-Kakuma, Garissa-Dadaab, and Mombasa counties. The gathering celebrated significant milestones, confronted persistent challenges, and reflected on a movement that has reshaped SRHR understanding and delivery in marginalized communities.
Dr. Martin Mburu, representing the Ministry of Health’s Division of Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Adolescents and Young People Health, underscored the critical need for youth-centered SRHR programming.
“Adolescents, young people, and women of reproductive age in Kenya, according to the data we have, form the biggest chunk of our population. So, we need to prioritize,” he stated. He extended gratitude to the leaders, heroes, and partners who collaborated with the Ministry of Health to achieve these vital goals, enabling young people and women of reproductive age to thrive.
Dr. Mburu highlighted the project’s success in ensuring rights-based programming. The government, in partnership with various organizations, has developed engaging reproductive health messages for young and adolescent women and youth-responsive services.
He also noted the ministry’s evolving digital strategy, emphasizing that SRHR information is now more accessible than ever, thanks to close collaboration with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and young people in developing these messages. The recent passage of the Digital Health Act further ensures that SRHR services and information can be accessed remotely.
Humphres Evelia, Executive Director Centre for the study of Adolescence, emphasized how We Lead united young and vibrant leaders and adolescents from over 15 organizations.
This included young women living with HIV, sexual minority individuals, and displaced persons, all advocating for inclusive and responsive SRHR services. He noted that the project, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, strengthened the contribution of diverse young women in shaping and advancing SRHR services.
Nyambura Gathumbi, Global Program Manager for We Lead, affirmed the project’s commitment to pushing boundaries in environments resistant to young people’s SRHR, especially as global attention appears to shift away from gender equality and women’s rights. She highlighted the project’s success in establishing legal systems designed to endure beyond the We Lead program itself.
At the heart of the We Lead movement are grassroots changemakers, local organizations, and community champions. These individuals have empowered rightsholder groups, including adolescent girls and young women living with HIV, those with disabilities, young women affected by displacement, and those facing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
In Siaya County, Claris Atieno Abwao of Nyimine Empowerment CBO shared how the program transformed her community. “This project helped our girls not just know their rights—but own them,” she reflected. “Before We Lead, many of our rightsholders were silent.
Now, they can voice their issues, they know where to go for help, and they know that they deserve to be heard.” Nyimine Empowerment CBO was instrumental in the development and advocacy of the Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Act (RAMCA Bill), successfully passed in Siaya, which promises improved SRHR services.
However, implementation challenges remain. Atieno Abwao lamented, “We train healthcare workers and duty bearers on SRHR, only for them to be transferred. The new staff come in with no training. It’s like starting from zero every time. If the government embedded SRHR training in formal medical and public service curricula, we wouldn’t keep losing ground.”
In Turkana County’s Kakuma refugee settlement, Resilient Action International has adopted a holistic and strategic approach to SRHR. Monica Jok, the organization’s project lead, explained, “Because Kakuma is a diverse community, we have produced a counseling manual for the right holders to enable them to provide psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence.”
The organization has also developed school-based and community awareness programs, a digital SRHR hotline, and the MAMA curriculum, focusing on contraceptives, post-abortion care, and gender-based violence recovery. Their advocacy, bolstered by 2022 research on unsafe abortions, led to new funding from the Safe Abortion Action Fund. “Access is not just about availability—it’s about safety, dignity, and information,” said Jok.
In Kisii and Nyamira counties, Udada Imara is addressing SRHR challenges faced by the queer community. Pinkie Bosibori, who leads the CBO’s work, highlighted their growing influence in local policy spaces.
“Coming from queer community we face different challenges including marginalization and discrimination from the state, duty bearers because of legal frameworks. By working with healthcare workers, we are participating in policy work when it comes to sexual and reproductive health,” said Bosibori. “The quality of access to those services has improved. We are now being invited to the policy table.”
In Dadaab, Eddie Jomo from INUKA for Community Organization works with women displaced by conflict, while in Mombasa, Stretchers Youth Organization is amplifying youth voices in SRHR policy. “We have our young people representatives in the county decision making tables,” said Mary Wasike of Stretchers Youth. “Previously, young people were not included… Now our two young representatives have been selected in the county technical working group.”
In Kilifi, Dream Achievers Youth Organization has innovated with an online community radio that spotlights gender-based violence and women’s rights. “The radio takes a gender lens with discussions around GBV and the role of men in ensuring that they are not perpetrators,” explained Sophie Pwani. “We’ve also participated in various SRHR campaigns in Kilifi and Mombasa counties.”
Back on the national stage, Dr. Mburu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining the movement through robust policy frameworks. “We have a policy called the Adolescent and Young Persons Reproductive Health Policy, which is going to be launched very soon,” he announced. “It addresses a number of issues affecting adolescents and young people in matters of reproductive health—young people with disabilities, young people with mental health issues… This policy will address them.”
Betty Mtuweta the Community of Action Facilitator in Kenya concluded by sharing, She is proud to have walked this journey with such fierce and visionary rightsholders and COAs and who remain committed to advancing SRHR, inclusion, and women leadership long after the program ends.
