The Meru Youth Service (MYS) Board has finally been sworn in, ushering in a renewed push to strengthen youth empowerment and expand economic opportunities across the county.
Among those taking the oath was filmmaker and Ameru Crew creative, Wycliff Muthomi aka Mudomi, whose appointment has been widely welcomed by Meru’s growing arts and digital content community. His inclusion is seen as a recognition of the rising influence of the creative sector in job creation, youth skills development and cultural expression.
The newly constituted board now assumes a crucial mandate: steering policy direction for the Meru Youth Service, overseeing programme implementation and ensuring that training, capacity-building and enterprise support reach young people across all sub-counties. At a time when unemployment, drug dependency and limited economic opportunities continue to affect Meru’s youth, the board’s leadership is expected to be pivotal in shaping practical, home-grown solutions.
The Meru Youth Service, modeled partly on National Youth Service initiatives but tailored to local needs, has in previous years run several impactful programmes. These include vocational training in areas such as mechanics, agribusiness, carpentry, tailoring and ICT; discipline and leadership development camps; and community service initiatives aimed at instilling responsibility and civic engagement among young people. The service has also partnered with private sector organisations and development agencies to place graduates in jobs, apprenticeships and short-term income projects.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
With the new board in place, county officials say the next phase will focus on scaling these initiatives, improving accountability and aligning youth programmes with emerging economic opportunities in sectors such as technology, film, agritech and the creative economy. This is where Muthomi’s appointment is being seen to add fresh value.
As a filmmaker who has worked closely with young content producers and digital storytellers, he brings first-hand experience of the challenges and potential within Meru’s creative sector—one of the fastest-growing avenues for youth self-employment.
The board is also expected to strengthen monitoring and evaluation frameworks to ensure that public investment in youth programmes translates into measurable impact. This includes tracking skills uptake, job placements, enterprise growth and community transformation. Additionally, the board will advise the county government on policy gaps, new training directions and how to position Meru as a hub for youth innovation.
Speaking after the swearing-in ceremony, Meru County Governor Mutuma M’Ethinkia said that the revitalised board reflects a deliberate effort to include diverse professional voices. He noted that youth empowerment can no longer rely on traditional training alone, and must instead incorporate digital skills, market-driven training and pathways into emerging industries.
Today’s swearing-in therefore represents more than a procedural formality it signals a renewed commitment to placing young people at the centre of Meru’s economic and social agenda.
With members like Muthomi onboard, expectations are high that the Meru Youth Service will chart a dynamic, modern and results-driven path for the county’s youth.
