By Wambui Mbuthia | Friday, Jan 26th 2018 at 14:44

United Nations (UN) agency on January 19, 2018, requested President Uhuru Kenyatta to be the global champion for youth empowerment which he accepted, causing an uproar on social media. UN is an intergovernmental organization tasked to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order.

According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore, the President will be required to take part in advocating the promotion of universal healthcare, education, and nutrition.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore was on a visit to Kenya to learn more about the situation of children and young people and to meet with her staff.

Fore, who became UNICEF’s seventh Executive Director on January 1, met with President Kenyatta and asked him to champion the rights of children during the second decade in life.

To garner commitment and resources to youth issues, Fore said it was important to bring together champions from the public and private sector who would advocate for adolescents’ right to education, health, protection and life skills.

Ms. Fore also asked the key public and private sector leaders to champion youth issues. She arrived in Kenya after a two-day visit to South Sudan where she met with women and children affected by the conflict and visited UNICEF programmes in Juba, Ganyiel, and Bentiu.

Ms. Fore, who paid a courtesy call to Uhuru at the Statehouse praised the President’s big four pillars of development among them job creation, manufacturing, affordable housing, food and nutritional security. In attendance were Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu and his Foreign Affairs counterpart Amina Mohamed.

She assured the country that UNICEF will work with the government in operations and monitoring to achieve universal healthcare.

According to Ms. Fore, UNICEF is interested in promoting child education after primary school and that they will work with the government to see it improves.

“We can work in partnership to nurture talents so that children and teenagers between the age of 10 and 18 can be given life skills,” she said.

Uhuru affirmed his intention to ensure 100 percent primary school transition rates for better education. “Education is key for youth development. It is a major catalyst for equity and social stability,” he said.

The move, however, did not sit well with Kenyans who thought that UNICEF had chosen the wrong person for that position.

On Twitter, they made the topic trend under #shamefulUNICEF where they expressed their displeasure in the ordeal;

The #ShamefulUNICEF should snap out of its obsequious reverie & know that every 'Youth' project in Kenya has been a sham; a conduit for thieves to line their pockets. Stop gushing praise to a man who is responsible for this problem. — Wuon Maathai (@_guavara) January 20, 2018

Guys let’s ashame @UNICEF Executive Director @unicefchief for whitewashing crimes against children committed in Kenya during the last polls by pro-regime security organs. Girls and women were raped too. Disgusting to award the perpetrators global recognition! #ShamefulUNICEF — D I K E M B E (@Disembe) January 20, 2018

UNICEF, this man you appointed Unicef’s global champion for youth empowerment played a central role in Kenya’s PEV of 07/08.Late 2017 he lead a police force that killed hundreds of youth in Kenya. Need evidence?It’s ironical that you are rewarding such acts. #ShamefulUNICEF pic.twitter.com/hp828FHjPq — A Karani Onsomu (@erwoti) January 20, 2018

@UN has almost always goofed on appointment of so the called ambassadors. It was Mugabe just before his downfall and now @UKenyatta! Parents are yet to heal after losing children killed by rogue police under his command and now @UNICEF happens #ShamefulUNICEF — Douglas Orang'i (@Douglasorangi) January 20, 2018

How can a man facing charges of crimes against humanity at the ICC . Be a champion for any form and or shape of any human activity. ???This is sick, stinks to the sky. #ShamefulUNICEF

— Amedo Shair (@AmedoShair) January 20, 2018

That UNICEF has appointed Uhuru the global champion for youth empowerment. Stinks, reminds me of the WHO appointing Mugabe. #ShamefulUNICEF — Amedo Shair (@AmedoShair) January 20, 2018

It's really shameful of #UNICEF to honor Uhuru as a champion of the youth when his country has the highest number of youth unemployment.#ShamefulUNICEF — Michael (@WafulaNMichael) January 20, 2018

UNICEF is now the most corrupt institution globally- how can you consistently partake in atrocities and make make wrong decisions! Latest being Uhuru appointment. #ShamefulUNICEF — Moses Kite ???? (@naghmoo) January 20, 2018

I cannot believe in values or your ethics, when your putting men like #Uhuru on the pedistal and give him a honourary title. #UNICEF are you a lost cause? Seriously? A UN Body with no morals? #ShamefulUNICEF — Minbane (@MinBaneWP) January 20, 2018

If by now Africans have not learnt a thing about the corrupt @UNICEF together with the corrupt @unicefchief then we are doomed. These organizations are corrupt entities led by corrupt individuals who use the problems Africans face to make money. #ShamefulUNICEF — Eric (@amerix) January 20, 2018