Reforms: Envoy urges bigger role for youth

United States ambassador Michael Ranneberger has called on young people to seize active roles in the reform process.

Speaking at a dinner hosted by the Youth Agenda, he urged all the young people to speak out, register as voters and vote for the draft constitution, which he described as “a good starting point.”

Mr Ranneberger said the youth were the driving force for change in the country, and that they seemed to have learnt important lessons from the last post-election violence.

“I sense that there is a sea change of attitude the youth have woken up,” said the envoy, who has been moving around the country interacting with young people.

“I sense that it is like a tidal wave below the surface… but at one point it is going to break the surface,” he added.

According to the envoy, politicians would only effect reforms when pushed. He praised the National Youth Forum, organised by the Youth Agenda lobby, for sensitising young people on their role in changing the country.

At the Wednesday dinner, speakers drawn from the political class and civil society praised Committee of Experts and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution for their role in giving this country draft laws.

Cecily Mbarire, Runyenjes MP, and one of the youth lobby’s founders, said the quest for a new constitution had come a long way and time was up for the country.

“We must move to another level. There cannot be a perfect document and so, for now, let us just support it (the draft)” she told the gathering.

The lobby was launching a new board of directors and taking stock of their achievements since it was formed more than ten years ago.