(Tangaza University College/Routledge, 2008-04) Sahaya, Selvam
Early physical maturity and delayed social maturity, created by the Industrial
Revolution, make youth a vulnerable group. Governments, including those of East Africa, attempt
to respond to this situation in their National Youth Policies. However, these policies remain weak
and uncommitted to youth rights. The capabilities approach, pioneered by Amartya Sen and
developed by Martha Nussbaum, challenges the naivety of debates on human rights by calling for
affirmative action. In the light of the capabilities approach, this article critically examines the
existing National Youth Policies of the three countries of East Africa—Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda. It suggests certain elements that need to be added to youth capabilities in the African
context.