Youths must look beyond political fighting

Although the opposition’s tune of a revolution to change the Uhuru Kenyatta presidency appears to have changed following the recent homecoming rally speech by Mr Raila Odinga, it is important for Kenyan youths to take stock of the unfolding events since it has become apparent that once again, they are being cast in the role of political pawns.

The weeks that led to the grand rally at Uhuru Park were characterised by bare-knuckle politics, Kenyan style. This had the potential to polarise the country with hatred and intolerance, the seeds of the 2007 post-election violence.

When Mr Odinga told the crowd of largely unemployed youths, who started streaming into Uhuru Park as early as six in the morning, that Cord would seek dialogue with the government, his sentiment were greeted with murmurs.

The charged crowd expected him to announce how he would deliver the much-hyped revolution that was expected to transform the political landscape and offer the opportunities that have been elusive for years.

Many feel that the Uhuru Kenyatta administration has not lived up to expectations. It has been accused of excesses that have been considered to be a constraint to democratic space.

The country is also facing a serious problem of insecurity while corruption and youth unemployment have been rising alarmingly. The opposition sees this as the manifestation of an administration not fully in charge.

Clear strategy

A strong opposition is in no doubt necessary to keep the government on its toes. However, the theatrics and rhetoric that have accompanied opposition politics in the recent past paints the picture of a group without a clear strategy. This will not take this country an inch forward.

It is emerging that young people risk finding themselves once again at the centre of confrontational politics that the opposition hopes to use to its advantage. Due to their numbers and the high rate of unemployment among them, the youths are vulnerable to any political machinations, as has been the case in the past.

The national dialogue which the Cord alliance announced, and which initially got the President’s nod during his Madaraka Day speech, would have been a good starting point for constructive debate on the numerous challenges facing this country.

It would have been interesting to see how an opposition that is expected to act as a government-in-waiting engages an administration with which it has a divergent view on almost everything.

As expected, Kenyan politicians have continued to heap abuse on one another. It is sad that the youth have jumped into the fray, starting a campaign of hate speech on social media as they shout their support for their political sides.

The Cord alliance needs to know that it cannot play its opposition role effectively without first putting its house in order. ODM, the largest party in the alliance, failed to conclude its party elections in February. The unsettled issues that led to this state of affairs still pose a risk to the unity of the party.

It will be interesting to see how this will shape the evolution of the energised opposition.

Mr Obonyo is external adviser on the UN Habitat’s Youth Advisory Board. [email protected].