Democracy must acknowledge that the youth are a majority

When I was young we used to address letters to each other: Direct me to so and so. Especially to a member of the opposite sex. We even powdered or perfumed the missives. To mark the International Youth Day, I have decided to write an open letter to you, our country’s youth.

Recently, Kyle McCarter, the USA ambassador to Kenya, poignantly tweeted: “Youth of Kenya, how will you make your country better?”

Since 1963 young people have persistently asked that their country accommodate them in its plans: they deserve jobs, dignity and indeed full citizenship. The youth don’t fancy inhabiting the margins of society or being the so-called leaders of tomorrow. They have largely sought to be mainstreamed into society.

But just pause to examine our history. Dedan Kimaathi led the Mau Mau war at the age of 30. The first crop of ministers, permanent secretaries and nascent captains of industry were under 35. Thomas Mboya, for example, was an influential Cabinet minister at 30.

First black president

In Africa, Patrice Lumumba became the first prime minister of the Republic of Congo at 35. Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress at 24 and later became the first black president of South Africa.

Muammar al-Gadaffi became Libya’s leader at 27. Thomas Sankara led Burkina Faso at 34. Madagascar’s current president, Andry Rajoelina, whose former career was event organiser, initially became the president of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar at 35.

Other global leaders are Martin Luther King Jr, who led America’s civil rights movement at 26. Sebastian Kurz, the current Austrian Chancellor initially ascended to the position at 31. Sanna Mirella Marin became Finland’s prime minister at 34. Jacinta Kate Laurel became New Zealand’s prime minister at 37 after being elected a member of parliament at 28.

The above examples confirm that it is a myth that young people cannot occupy the highest office of any country.

Young people in Kenya, Africa and indeed in the world are the majority. Currently, those between 15 and 34 years are about 31 per cent of the world population, 34 per cent of Africa’s and 36 per cent of Kenya’s. Democracy must acknowledge the majority.

Who should lead?

One can then pose the following questions: If the youth are that many, who should lead them? Should they not be in leadership? Do they have the capacity to lead? What should be done then?

Strategically, as young persons, you should interrogate all national, regional and international policy, legal and institutional frameworks that concern the youth agenda. Were you involved in their formulation? What changes can you demand to make these frameworks truly youth responsive?

National, regional and international policy and legal frameworks addressing youth issues include: Kenya’s constitution, 2010 Articles 55, 10, 27, 100 and 177, the National Youth Council Act, 2009 (under which the National Youth Council is established), the Kenya Youth Development Policy of 2019, East African Youth Policy, African Youth Charter, 2006, the World Programme of Action for Youth, the UN Youth Strategy, 2030, etc.

The question is: To what extent do these blueprints translate into development for the Kenyan youth? Have youth advocacy groups critiqued the efficacy of these measures?

You must satisfy yourselves whether Kenya’s Youth Fund, Uwezo Fund and Access to Government Procurement Opportunities initiatives have substantially benefited your sector. Further, does the National Youth Council adequately serve to mobilise the youth nationally?

The Dakar World Youth Forum of 2001 has been viewed as “a splendid example of young people coming together to work at their own agenda, without waiting for governments to tell them what to do.”

Governments will be prodded to tackle youth problems if young persons in the first instance identify and endeavour to solve them.

Their “handshake”

As youth, you must seize agency, be proactive and self-organise. All the country’s youth organisations need to formalise their “handshake”: a coming together for a common purpose.

Kenyan youth deserve at least one third of all elective positions at both levels of government. Each political party should chiefly achieve this during primaries. And part of the Political Parties Fund should be channelled to youth programmes to enhance their competitiveness in politics.

Using your own led umbrella youth organisation, you must, through a participatory process, create a youth manifesto. This should contain all social, cultural, political and economic demands that will secure your core interests. National and sub-national budgets must clearly delineate the percentage reserved for the youth.

Even as young persons seek capacity-building and skills, the destination must always be access to the mainstream. Being hand-out recipients and suppliers of violence must become history.

Young people are adept at deploying ICT, the arts, innovation and new forms of media especially as relates to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

 You must disruptively use tools of the communication age to generate necessary content for education, employment-creation, behavioural change, etc. You must create your heroes within all societal spheres as symbols of your struggle.

I urge you to transcend tribe and become animators of national, regional and global unity. You are as good as any other youth in the world.

Let me conclude by sharing from Alexandre Havard’s book, Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence, where he writes: “Leadership is about character. No, leadership is character.”

And for him, content of character consists of a set of virtues which enhance one’s ability as follows:

“Prudence: to make right decisions. Courage: to stay the course and resist pressures of all kinds. Self-control: to subordinate passions to the spirit and fulfilment of the mission at hand. Justice: to give every individual his (her) due. Magnanimity: to strife for great things, to challenge myself and others. Humility: to overcome selfishness and serve others habitually.”

For the task ahead, you must prepare yourselves ethically, morally and, I dare add, spiritually.

Your reward will be transformation for you, our country as well as continent. Luv you all.