Youth must challenge and question their elected peers

A couple of months ago, I attempted to assess the influences and motivations, positive or otherwise, that first-time voters might be facing.

Will this significant segment of the population go to the ballot because of ethnic politics, or will they be voting for the dreams, ideals and ideas reflected by the candidates they will be backing?

Will they turn out to vote or will they give in to the disillusion that it counts for naught?

Then it occurred to me that it is worth investigating the ‘supply side’ as well. Perhaps some aspirants for political office will emerge from this cohort that will be voting for the first time, most likely from the wider youth bracket of 18 to 35 years.

The median age in Kenya is 19 years, and over 80 per cent of the country’s population is under 35 years. Presently, according to Mzalendo, 80 per cent of the country is represented in Parliament by only 50 people.

In a 2014/15 evaluation of Kenya’s public service, only 24 per cent were youth. Only one per cent of public service workers were aged between 21 and 24, with no single worker aged between 15 and 19.

Meanwhile, 32 per cent of the public service employees were 50 years old and 16.2 per cent of the officers in the public service are aged 45-49 years.

CANDIDATES WHO BRIBE

Research from the Atlantic Council has found that African heads of state are, on average,  42 years older than the median age of their constituents, a strong indicator of the generational divide that exists throughout African politics.

While age isn’t the sole determinant of ability, it is an important statistic to keep in mind as far as youth representation in politics on the continent goes.

Currently, civic awareness efforts are predominantly focused on getting eligible voters to register. Elections are still being posited as an event rather than a process of engaging on ideas, verifying statistics and reviewing development plans and policies.

Yet we know the country, and its youth in particular, are frustrated and disoriented.

The insightful Youth Survey conducted by Aga Khan University found overall positive views on political participation.  Ninety per cent of youth surveyed believed it is important to vote, while 70 per cent believed they have the power to make a difference.

Sixty two per cent of the youth, however, are vulnerable to electoral bribery, with 40 per cent saying they would only vote for a candidate who bribed them! If these are the perspectives from the demand side, what then, will be supplied?

As election day nears, will we see more aspirants emerging from the youth demographic, and what will their campaign messages, missions and visions be?

Will they deviate from ‘business as usual’? Will kura kwa vijana represent a new way of thinking and participating in elective politics?

What will new aspirants, like the indomitable Boniface Mwangi speak to? He has gone on record calling for a ‘ballot revolution’, an interesting idea that needs further deliberation, and perhaps even a framework.

OUTLIVING ELECTION CYCLES

One question that lingers whenever I hear Boniface speak about this: what would happen once we vote out the bad crop amongst elected officials and replace them with others, perhaps more youthful or more passionate about fixing the numerous problems we face today?

Does a ‘ballot revolution’ then guarantee accountability, transparency or weeding out corruption?

What is the role of citizens pre- and post- ‘ballot revolution’? This novel idea needs to be supported by an action plan, clearly (re)articulating the role of all actors: elected officials, the electorate, civil society, private sector, religious institutions, and the media.

It is insufficient to simply fantasise on new faces and actors in Parliament, the counties and even the Presidency.

What discussions are taking place amongst the electorate around the Kenya we want and how to achieve it, beyond the act of voting every five years? Who needs to lead the charge, the aspirants or the electorate?

Given the unfortunate reality that political parties morph with every election season, and have been reduced to avenues for securing election and re-election -  including setting them up to accrue membership and aspirants only to sell them off -  I am also curious to see whether younger aspirants become part of the same machinery or set up alternatives.

Will they restore a core function of political parties that seems all too lost today, which is to formulate public policy positions and present policy alternatives? Will they be the force behind new political parties that outlive election cycles?

Indeed, a most interesting assessment on the achievements of the 50 or so young leaders in both houses is much needed. To what political parties do they belong? What issues have they tabled or contributed to on the floor?

ENCOURAGE ORGANISING

Will we see more independent candidates, if the political party approach proves unviable? In the current Parliament, for instance, Hon Boniface Gatobu Kinoti, the youngest legislator in the current house ran as an independent candidate in 2013. I wonder if this will remain the case next year, should he vie again.

This week, I participated in the relaunch of the NiShow Power initiative that aims to drive the youth vote to the ballot, and by extension, get youth involved in politics. The portal also aims to inform, through segments like FactUp.

This is a great start, but as Juliani rightfully noted during a panel discussion, over and above telling the youth what to do, there is a need to listen to their concerns, reservations, frustrations and aspirations.

We shouldn’t just be talking at the youth, but talking to and with them if we are to have a finger on the pulse of this demographic. After all, while we constitute a force to reckon with, we also have been vulnerable to exploitation during the course of this country’s electoral and political history.

Prescriptions and suggestions of what the youth can do should entail encouraging organising, whether physical or virtual, to discuss what issues we’d like to see addressed between now and August 8, 2017, as well as beyond.

There is much need for guidance on avenues of engagement, beyond queuing at voting centres and exercising one part of our democratic right.

I really hope that there are pockets of youth who are questioning and challenging those who aim to represent them in political office. Else, we risk seeing frustrations channelled in violent ways, a course that we must do all that we can to avoid.

Twitter: @NiNanjira