Catholic Bishops from Eastern Africa have asked political leaders to stop exploiting young people during election periods and instead implement policies that create jobs, improve education, promote good governance and provide meaningful opportunities for youth participation in national development.
The call was made in a communiqué issued at the conclusion of the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), held from July 19 to 26 at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The assembly was held under the theme: “AMECEA’s Synodal Journey with Young People: Building Bridges of Communion, Hope, Justice and Good Governance.”
Bishops said young people had expressed frustration over being mobilised and used during election campaigns only to be abandoned after elections.
“The young people look up to you as models of leadership and stewards of the common good entrusted to your care. During this assembly, they told us plainly that they often feel used in election seasons and forgotten once votes are counted,” the communiqué stated.
The bishops called on political leaders to abandon the exploitation of young people for selfish political interests and instead provide leadership that promotes hope, dignity and responsible citizenship.
The week-long assembly brought together bishops from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan and Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, as well as affiliate members from Djibouti and Somalia. Priests, religious leaders, lay delegates, development partners and youth representatives from across the region also participated.
More than 15,000 young people attended the opening Eucharistic celebration, which the bishops described as a strong demonstration of the vitality, faith and hope of the region’s youth.
The participants discussed challenges affecting young people, including unemployment, forced migration, mental health, safeguarding, digital culture and social exclusion.
The bishops said young people need greater understanding, accompaniment, catechesis and holistic formation rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. They also acknowledged calls for increased youth participation in leadership and decision-making within the Church and wider society.
Among the resolutions adopted was the strengthening of youth chaplaincies and pastoral accompaniment, deeper faith formation, responsible use of Artificial Intelligence and emerging digital technologies, revitalisation of Small Christian Communities, and expansion of mental health and psychosocial support services.
The bishops also resolved to promote transparent leadership, establish dedicated youth desks, train Catholic digital missionaries, and invest in education, mentorship, entrepreneurship and skills development.
They further committed to strengthening safeguarding policies and regional collaboration while engaging governments, regional bodies and development partners to promote safe and lawful movement of citizens across Eastern Africa.
The bishops urged governments to address the root causes of forced migration, protect migrants and refugees, and adopt policies that promote holistic education, decent employment, entrepreneurship and civic participation among young people.
During the opening ceremony, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Dr Musalia Mudavadi, who represented President William Samoei Ruto, urged young people to become agents of innovation and peace.
“You are the voice, energy and future of our continent,” Mudavadi told the delegates, urging them to remain responsible citizens whose ideas promote innovation and whose actions contribute to peace.
The bishops welcomed the Kenyan government’s continued partnership with the Catholic Church in promoting communion, hope, justice and good governance across the region.
In a message to young people, the bishops reaffirmed the Church’s confidence in their potential.
“We love you, we believe in you, and we invite you to participate fully in the life and mission of the Church and in the life of your respective countries,” they said.
The assembly ended with a call to governments, religious leaders, development partners, Catholics and all people of goodwill to work together to create an environment in which young people are empowered to contribute meaningfully to the Church, their countries and society.
