Youth to blame for poor involvement in politics

Though it has not ratified the African Youth Charter, Kenya is a member of the African Union and a democratic society that has made a commitment to all citizens, including the youth, to ensure that they are fully involved in all the spheres of the society.

It is therefore unfortunate that the youth of this country are still being relegated to the periphery in terms of involvement in political party leadership.

A recent report released by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy Kenya, indicates that political parties in Kenya have locked out the youth in their activities.

According to the report dubbed, Youth in Political Party Participation in Kenya Baseline Study-2015, there seems to be a disconnect between the youth and party politics, which could be aggravated by apathy and lack of internal party democracy. The report states that although the Kenyan youth constitute the biggest chunk of voters, they have not succeeded to harness political power within political institutions, including political parties.

The report further says that often the youth are relegated to the lower and insignificant positions such as youth leagues, with limited resources and authority to meaningfully influence party. The report aptly captures the youth situation in the country.

In spite of the fact that the Government recognises that the youth in Kenya are marginalised especially in political participation, it has made no visible efforts to push their agenda in terms of political participation in any of the Government’s organ.

A casual look at the secretariats of the main political parties will reveal an almost total exclusion of youth, especially at the top. Consequently, the youth continue to be used as door mats by the established politicians, who use them conveniently to ascend to power.

The trend has always been to form youth wings whose role is not fully integrated in the mainstream party. These youth wings are mostly visible during the electioneering period and are always used by politicians for intimidating their rivals, causing violence and promoting tribal bigotry to advance their parochial political interests.

During this time, the youth are reduced to mere pawns in the dirty confrontational politics that the country is always treated to. This was palpable in during the 2007-08 post-election violence, when the youth were incited to cause mayhem across the nation.

Even with the enactment of the Political Parties Bill not much has changed. The bill, which provides for, among other things, Government funding for political parties, was touted as the best way of ensuring democracy in the party system in the country something that would have seen the youth take up leadership position in various party ranks. As was the case in the past, parties received funding from membership, with most of it coming from the party honchos and since scores of the youth are not rich, it was easy for affluent individuals to buy party positions and nominations locking out the youth.

The youth are also to blame for their dire situation. They have desperately allowed politicians to use them in attaining their own selfish interests. The politicians have made it a norm to lure them with petty cash and opportunities in playing into their whims and the youth with their craving for quick cash and happy-go-lucky lifestyle, have always fallen prey. This is why they are always quick to take to the streets in support of ‘mtu wetu’ whenever they are called upon by their paymasters.