Garissa County has held a forum that brings together all the youth in the devolved unit and their leaders.
Speaking exclusively to Citizen TC, the county's Gender, Youth and Sports CEC Zeynab Abdi Digale said the forum was aimed at sensitising youths on the myriad opportunities around them.
The forum was also an opportunity for the county youths to raise the issues they have with their leaders.
"And this forum is purposely a dialogue between the youth engagement ... We want to create an engagement between our youth and us leaders of the county government, " the CEC said.
Zeinab Digale reiterated the county government's commitment under the leadership of Governor Ali Korane to address issues that youths in the county are grappling with.
The forum is also an attempt to prevent the youths from falling for the ideologies of Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group which has been on a recruitment spree in the county and other counties that border Somalia.
The CEC said a revolving fund that had been launched by the county government would have among its beneficiaries the youth.
In the lead up to the forum, a need assessment was carried out by the county officials in a bid to determine what issues the young people are facing.
About 70% of the youths in the county are unemployed making them vulnerable to radicalisation.