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Writer's pictureIrungu Houghton

Emerging young leaders should engage politically

Several readers of last week’s column invited this column to explore how emerging youth leaders could retain their political influence and deepen their recent governance and human rights impact as we turn to the next General Elections.

 

While the recent online and street protests were supported by several generations, the Occupy “Gen Z” movement established the place of teenagers and twenty-year-olds in political change in ways probably not seen for decades, possibly never before in Kenyan history. The moment is more remarkable when you consider that barely nineteen months before, at least three million of them chose not to participate in the 2022 General Elections. Too disillusioned by the political candidates, party patronage and the overall unfairness in the electoral system, most neither believed their vote would count, make a difference nor did they have a chance of winning themselves.

 

Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi’s recent report is a helpful starting point for understanding the recent rebellion against the National Assembly and the Kenya Kwanza national administration. The study looks at the views of young people (18-35) towards civil and political participation across three counties Kisumu, Nairobi and Mombasa. It finds that four out of five young people know that democracy is based on public participation. However, less than three out of five participate in any form of community or civic activities. Nearly four out of five young people, the same number that know political participation is crucial, do not engage in any political activity apart from voting.

 

The commercialisation of politics has been a major repellent to authentic participation. Large rallies can be generated by handouts and allowances but as soon as these are removed, these “casual activists” transfer their services to the next politician. The exodus of young people from political participation has also been fuelled by the consistent pattern of defunding continuous voter registration, voter and civic education. Without this, young people have lacked an engaged understanding of political decision-making, how democratic institutions work and how to influence important policy instruments such as budgets and bills.

 

Disaggregating by age, Inuka finds that the younger the respondent is, the less interested they are in political activities. Those between 18-25 argue politics is either too boring, expensive or ethnically divisive, toxic and violent.

 

A very small number of young people are affiliated to or even interested in joining any political party controlled by a single benefactor or small group of older politicians. Most political parties do not have youth wings that are actively recruited, educating and retaining young people outside the pre-election campaigns.

 

The findings taken with the recent events suggest that it was this expensive, unfair and exclusionary political system that drove the recent political crisis. Politically crowded out, without a voice and unheard, Gen Z created new ways outside of the traditional and legal avenues for self-expression and civic influence. The political issues that preoccupy Gen Z is also illuminating. The survey finds them most preoccupied with their safety, employment and corruption, themes that surfaced and drove the recent protests.

 

Current political and policy channels for public participation have systemically failed this generation. New approaches are needed. The political class must look beyond tired old tokenistic offers of affirmative seats, youth wing side shows and one way communication channels. New ways of engaging young people where they are rather than where the powerful and privileged are comfortable are now needed.

 

This population is highly digital, visual, and rightfully, highly suspicious of anyone who appears to be benefiting from corruption or privilege. Being caught in a lie is a death sentence for any leader now. Public relations, the art of spinning what you think others want to hear, only infuriates and undermines any perceived benefit. Only respect and regular listening to youth led organisations will restore a basis for trust between state officers and young people. What happens next, depends on whether citizens, state officers and friends of Kenya internalise, build and act on some of Inuka’s findings and recommendations.

 

This opinion was also published in the Saturday Standard,  14 September 2024.

The Inuka Ni Sisi report can be read here.

 

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