The Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts was reconstituted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports via Executive Order No. 1 of 2023 on the re-organization of the Government of the Republic of Kenya.

It has two State Departments namely;

• State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy
• State Department for Sports

Brief History of the State Department for Youth Affairs & Creative Economy

The Ministry of Youth Affairs was first established in December 2005 to address youth concerns in the country upon the realization that the government needed to deal with the many socio-economic challenges facing the Kenyan youth to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. With the promulgation of the new Constitution of Kenya, 2010, and subsequent re-organization of government ministries, the youth docket has been domiciled in several ministries. It is currently one of the two state departments in the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports. Agencies under the State Department for Youth Affairs & Creative Economy include; Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), The National Youth Council (NYC), Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), Kenya Cultural Centre, Kenya National Library Services (KNLS), Kenya Film Commission, and Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO).

Mandate:

The mandate of the State Department for Youth Affairs & Creative Economy is anchored in Article 55 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 from which the functions of the Department are derived and outlined in Executive Order No.1 of 2020 (Revised May 2020) on Organization of the Government of the Republic of Kenya as follows:

1.    Youth Empowerment;
2.    Mainstreaming Youth in National Development;
3.    Harnessing and Developing Youth Talents for National Development;
4.    Managing and promoting Engagement with Youth for National Development;
5.    Collaborating and overseeing stakeholders engaged in Youth promoting Activities.

Department Functions

• Youth Empowerment and Participation

Programs in this division are geared towards building youth potential to enable them to take charge and improve the quality of their lives.
Main functions include coordination of the following youth programs:
•    Volunteerism and community service;
•    Environmental conservation & management;
•    Protection against harmful cultural practices and exploitation;
•    Mentorship and coaching.

• Youth Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

The main function of the division is to collaborate with youth-serving organizations, the private sector, and development partners to undertake policy, institutional, legal, and programmatic measures to respond to challenges facing the youth in Kenya. Other functions include disseminating information on youth programs, coordinating the establishment and operationalization of YECs, coordinating field services, and supporting local, regional, and international cooperation on youth development. Ongoing activities in the division are stakeholder mapping, the development of a Youth Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement Framework, and the finalization of the development of the guidelines for the operation of Youth Empowerment Centres.

• Youth Mainstreaming, Strategy, and Research

This division is involved in the Domestication of regional and International Conventions and treaties on youth; Development of Kenya Youth Development Index and the Kenya Youth Mainstreaming Strategy; Monitoring and evaluation of youth mainstreaming in MDAs; Promoting, carrying out research and disseminating findings on youth issues; Development of youth information management system; Development and dissemination of Kenya Youth Development Policy,2019; Implementation of memorandum of understanding relating to youth regional and international agreements.

• Youth Innovation and Talent Development

This division coordinates the development of strategies, projects, and programs that empower the youth through their creative abilities. The main functions are organization, directing, coordination, and control of all matters on youth innovation, enterprise, and talent development.

Brief History of the State Department for Sports

Vision:
A global leader in the provision and promotion of Sports.

Mission:
To provide leadership, coordination, and an enabling environment for the development of sports

Strategic Objectives:
The strategic objectives of the Ministry are to:

1.    Harness, develop, and regulate the sports industry;
2.    Provide an enabling policy, legal and institutional framework.

Mandate:
1.    Development, management, and implementation of the sports policy;
2.    Enforcement and implementation of the world anti-doping code and convention against doping;
3.    Promotion and co-ordination of sports training and education;
4.    Regulation of sports;
5.    Expansion of the sports industry for sustainable livelihood;
6.    Development and management of sports facilities;
7.    Establishment and management of sports academies to nurture talent.

Departments

1.    Department of Sports

The Department was established through a Presidential circular directive in 1987.

Mandate:

Its mandate, drawn from the sessional paper No. 3 of 2005, is to provide technical advice on all matters relating to sports and recreation in the country.

Functions:

1. Policy formulation, planning, implementation, and review
2. Sports budget preparation and implementation
3. Preparation and rationalization of sports calendars and events
4. Coordination and recommendation on financial requests from the sports organizations based on each activity.
5. Coordination of sports talent exposure in international competitions, conventions congresses
6. Recommend to the Government on hosting of regional and international competitions and conferences
7. Coordination of the Cash Awards and Honours scheme
8. Liaise with the Sports Registrar on the status of registered/licensed sports federations, organizations, clubs and sports personnel
9. Serve as observers during sports organizations’ elections
10. Development and implementation of bilateral/multilateral/technical sports agreements
11. Implementation of International sports conventions
12. Establishment of Inter-governmental sports partnerships
13. Carrying out sports research on the impact of sports on the economy
14. Coordination of the establishment of cottage industries for the manufacture of sports goods and equipment
15. Participation, monitoring, and evaluation of local/international sports programs and projects
    
    2.    Registrar of Sports

The office of the Sports Registrar was established under the Sports Act 2013.

Mandate:

To regulate Sports Organizations, professional sports bodies, and persons

Functions:

1. Registration of sports organizations
2. Licensing of professional sports bodies and professional sports persons
3. Arbitration of disputes arising from the registration and licensing of sports organizations and persons
4. Keep and maintain a register of registered sports organizations and such other particulars (relating to the registered organizers)
5. Management of court cases arising from the registration and licensing of sports organizations and persons
6. Sensitization of sports organizations and persons, Ministry staff, and the public at large on the Sports Act and other relevant laws
7. Observation of sports organizations’ elections