The National Youth Council has denied claims it called for Youth Affairs PS Fikirini Jacobs' resignation following the fatal shooting of mobiliser Cecil Ouma, calling the reports fake.
The National Youth Council (NYC) has distanced itself from reports circulating online that it demanded the resignation of Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs, following the fatal shooting of youth mobiliser Cecil Ouma.
In a statement issued Monday, July 6, the NYC said it had taken note of reports linking it to calls for the PS's removal and flagged them as false. "We wish to categorically state that the National Youth Council is not a party to these allegations, nor have we sanctioned any calls for the removal of the Principal Secretary," the council said.
The NYC described itself as a non-partisan state corporation mandated to promote youth welfare and empowerment, stating it has no legal authority to demand the resignation of public officials.
It urged that any grievances against public officers be pursued through established legal and administrative channels rather than public campaigns.
Editorial note: An individual identified in other reporting as the Acting Chairperson of the National Youth Council did publicly call on the PS to step aside pending investigations earlier last week. This piece reflects the council's institutional position as stated in its July 6 release, while noting that individual voices associated with the council have taken a different public stance.
The statement comes amid continued fallout from the death of Cecil Ouma, a 28-year-old youth mobiliser who was fatally shot during a youth empowerment programme in Kariokor, Nairobi County, on June 30. A bodyguard attached to PS Fikirini has been detained as investigations continue, and firearms recovered from the scene have been sent for ballistic testing
PS Fikirini has recorded a statement with police and says he remains available to cooperate with investigators. Calls for his resignation have come from multiple quarters, including university student leaders and opposition figures, even as the NYC now moves to clarify it is not formally among them.