Many young people take in stories every day, but a new Nairobi event asked them to start telling their own. The Rotaract Clubs of Ngong Road, Nairobi Central and USIU-Africa hosted the first Impact Ink Youth Storytelling Summit on Saturday, 31st October. The event took place at the USIU-Africa Amphitheatre and brought together emerging communicators, PR practitioners and digital creators. They discussed AI, earning from content and owning your narrative in East Africa’s media landscape.
What the Youth Storytelling Summit Taught
Speakers at the youth storytelling summit urged young Africans to move from consuming content to creating stories that shape public understanding. Janet Kemboi, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Africa at Google, gave the keynote and led a masterclass on practical Gemini workflows. Returning to her alma mater 18 years after her studies. She said, “AI is here to stay, and Africans must actively embrace these tools. If we are to move forward and shape our own narratives on the global stage.”
Staying True to Your Story
An industry panel titled “Why We Should Tell Impactful Stories” featured Richard “Astar” Njau of Cleaning The Airwaves, Mwende Mulandi of SBM Bank Kenya, Chienjo Omondi of Chienjo Create and influencer marketer Gigi Wandera. The panel stressed the value of staying true to your core vision from the start. It showed that strategic brand alignment and audience trust help creators keep an authentic voice, which fits the aims of the youth storytelling summit. That advice matters for young creators who are still building their first audiences and deciding what their work stands for.
Austine Itebete, President of the Rotaract Club of Ngong Road, said Impact Ink was created to directly address the growing skills gap among young people entering the communications landscape.The youth storytelling summit will return as an annual event in 2027, giving more young creators the same chance.
