Ogweno Stephen joined the launch of the National Youth Coalition for Tobacco Control on 26 August, representing Stowelink Foundation as youth organisations came together to create a stronger, coordinated movement against tobacco use and related harms in Kenya. The launch marked an important step in building a national platform through which young people can contribute more meaningfully to tobacco control policy, legislative advocacy, public awareness and accountability. For Ogweno Stephen, a health advocate whose public health work has consistently prioritised youth leadership and noncommunicable disease prevention, the coalition represents an opportunity to move from fragmented youth participation towards collective action.

A New Platform for Youth-Led Tobacco Control

The launch of the National Youth Coalition for Tobacco Control marked the beginning of a new chapter for youth participation in Kenya’s tobacco control movement.

The coalition brings together youth-led and youth-focused organisations that share a common interest in reducing tobacco use, strengthening public health policy and protecting younger generations from tobacco-related harm.

Founding organisations include the Kenya Tobacco Control and Health Promotion Alliance, Students Campaign Against Drug and Substance Abuse, Den of Hope and the Kenya Scouts Association.

Stowelink Foundation was represented at the launch by Ogweno Stephen, reflecting the organisation’s wider commitment to youth-led public health and tobacco control advocacy.

The coalition creates a platform through which different organisations can coordinate their efforts, share evidence, develop joint advocacy priorities and engage decision-makers with a stronger collective voice.

Why Youth Voices Matter in Tobacco Control

Young people are not simply beneficiaries of tobacco control policy.

They are directly affected by the environments in which tobacco and nicotine products are marketed, sold, discussed and normalised.

At the same time, young people bring perspectives that are essential to understanding how tobacco control must evolve.

They understand emerging digital spaces, changing social trends and the ways health information is consumed by younger populations.

For Ogweno Stephen, this makes youth participation in tobacco control both a public health necessity and a leadership opportunity.

His work through Stowelink Foundation has consistently emphasised the idea that young people should be involved in shaping solutions, not only invited to participate after decisions have already been made.

The National Youth Coalition for Tobacco Control offers a structure through which that participation can become more organised and sustained.

From Individual Advocacy to Collective Influence

One of the most important opportunities created by a coalition is the ability to turn separate organisational efforts into collective influence.

Youth organisations often carry out strong community programmes, awareness campaigns and advocacy activities, but their impact can be limited when they operate independently.

A coalition creates opportunities to coordinate messages, pool expertise, identify shared policy priorities and respond collectively to emerging tobacco control issues.

This matters because tobacco control is not a short-term campaign.

It involves sustained work around legislation, taxation, marketing restrictions, public education, enforcement, industry interference and the emergence of new tobacco and nicotine products.

For Ogweno Stephen, coalition building is therefore about creating the infrastructure needed for long-term public health advocacy.

Strengthening Youth Participation in Tobacco Policy

A major focus of the coalition is expected to be stronger youth engagement in policy and legislative advocacy.

Public health policies are often developed through highly technical processes, which can make meaningful youth participation difficult.

Yet many tobacco policies have a direct impact on young people.

Creating structured pathways for youth organisations to engage in these processes can improve both representation and policy relevance.

The coalition can help young advocates understand how tobacco laws are developed, how public consultations work, how evidence is used and how civil society can contribute to implementation and accountability.

This moves youth participation beyond symbolic representation.

It creates opportunities for young people to become informed policy actors capable of contributing substantively to national tobacco control discussions.

Connecting Tobacco Control With NCD Prevention

For Stowelink Foundation and Ogweno Stephen, tobacco control forms part of a much wider public health agenda around the prevention of noncommunicable diseases.

Tobacco use contributes to cancers, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses and other chronic conditions.

Preventing tobacco use therefore has implications far beyond tobacco itself.

It reduces future pressure on families, communities and health systems while contributing to broader efforts to prevent NCDs.

This is particularly important as Kenya works to strengthen Universal Health Coverage and address the growing burden of chronic disease.

A strong tobacco control movement can help reduce preventable illness before it creates additional demand for long-term treatment and healthcare financing.

Building the Next Generation of Public Health Advocates

The National Youth Coalition for Tobacco Control also creates an opportunity to build leadership.

Young advocates who participate in tobacco control today may become tomorrow’s public health researchers, policymakers, clinicians, civil society leaders and legislators.

Exposing them early to policy, advocacy, evidence generation and coalition building strengthens the wider public health ecosystem.

This has been a recurring theme in Ogweno Stephen’s work as a health advocate.

Through Stowelink Foundation, he has consistently supported opportunities for young people to gain practical experience in health advocacy, community engagement and policy conversations.

Participation in the new coalition therefore aligns with a broader effort to ensure that youth leadership becomes part of the structure of public health rather than an occasional addition to it.

A Coalition Must Be Built for the Long Term

Launching a coalition is only the beginning.

The real test will be whether the National Youth Coalition for Tobacco Control can sustain its momentum, maintain strong coordination and translate collective energy into measurable public health outcomes.

That will require clear priorities, strong governance, shared accountability and continued investment in the capacity of young advocates.

It will also require the coalition to remain responsive as the tobacco environment changes.

New nicotine products, digital marketing, evolving commercial strategies and changing youth behaviours mean that tobacco control movements must continuously adapt.

For Ogweno Stephen, this is where strategy becomes just as important as enthusiasm.

A coalition that is able to learn, coordinate and evolve will be better positioned to remain relevant over time.

Building a Stronger Youth Tobacco Control Movement in Kenya

The launch on 26 August represents more than the creation of another network.

It provides an opportunity to strengthen the role young people play in protecting public health in Kenya.

By bringing together youth-led and youth-focused organisations, the National Youth Coalition for Tobacco Control can create a stronger platform for advocacy, policy engagement, legislative action and community mobilisation.

For Ogweno Stephen and Stowelink Foundation, participation in the coalition reflects a continued commitment to youth leadership in public health and to building partnerships capable of addressing tobacco-related harm at scale.

The next chapter will depend on what the coalition builds together.

If sustained strategically, it has the potential to ensure that young people are not merely spoken about in tobacco control policy, but are actively helping shape the future of tobacco control in Kenya.