I am not one to brag, because there is little to brag about in our limping country at the moment. But I have made this post to put a smile on the face of our regular faithful readers.
A leading Kenyan newspaper has quoted one of the close advisors to the president hinting that there may be a snap poll in Kenya.
Read the story here.
In a July 29th Post we suggested exactly the same thing.
Read it here.
It is advisable for anybody intending to participate in the next general elections to start making their preparations now while assuming that the polls could be called at any time. Young people of Kenya, you have to make that move NOW.
=================
Do you want to get the Younger Generation in Kenya into power in 2007?
Calling all Kenyan bloggers, your country needs you.
Too right mate. the youth definitely need to stand up and be heard, (counted) come 2007 or should there be a snap poll. Am fed up of the status quo. Aren' t we the leaders of tomorrow who have grown old?
ReplyDeleteJagot,
ReplyDeleteWe urgently need to unite as the young people of Kenya under one umbrella body so that we can speak with one voice. We have an initiative in this blog to do just that and I hope you'll support it by joining.
All you need to do is send a blank email to;
YoungKenyan4President07-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
You can read the details at:
http://kumekucha1.blogspot.com/2006/08/kumekucha-announces-birth-of-new.html
You may be just one person but you can do much more than you think.
Chris your YoungKenyan4President07 campaign is noble and indeed well intentioned. However at the risk of sounding pessimistic, simplistic and a spoilsport I will point out a few challenges we need to appreciate. Let us start with the trivial. Who is a youth in Kenyan parlance? This term has been bastardized to the point of semantic redundancy and irrelevance. Are the Kenyan youth the under 25’s, 35’s, 45’s, 55’s, 65’s or 75’s. Right now anyone who is below 75 calls himself a youth. My village mad man is middle aged yet everyone refers to him as a kijana!!! Let us however restrict our age limit to under 35’s for this argument's sake. This generation right now does not have the motivation, resources (material), skill or desire to lead. They are too busy hustling, through no fault of their own, to secure an education, raise a family and take care of serious survival issues. This preoccupation has been precipitated by the damage the youth were dealt by that 24 year diabolical KANU era. Everyone is catching up now and the youth are at the hindmost with the devil snapping at their heels.
ReplyDeleteAnother point, our youth go about their business in a blissful state of unconcern about portentous matters like leadership. This is a prevalent global phenomenon and our youth are not unique. What are they concerned about? Due to the capitalist nursery they have been nurtured in, their sights are out of Kenya and mainly in the West. The definition of success is acquiring the wheels, the clad, the juice (clout), the honeyz, the digs…we can talk about other things later. As a group they are still running after the lower rung of needs and wants (remember Maslow?). As lower needs are satisfied, higher needs come into play. “Bread before clad”, then “Clad before digs” etc. These needs have direct implications for youth leadership and involvement in politics.
Other aspects include the patriarchal structure of our society where the ‘mbuyu’ sits on all resources and authority. Culture and tradition propagate this structure. How many times have you heard that an aspirant has first to see the council of wazees before he is given the nod? Finally I contend that the reference of the younger generation as “the youth” has brought about its marginalisation. Youth and women are now ‘minority’ groups that need special attention in the form of funds, ministers, legislation etc. Isn’t it farcical that Kenyan women constitute a powerful solid voting block and yet they are unable to come forth and impose their will? This is because they have been brainwashed into thinking they are incapable and politically impotent due to their marginalised state. Right behind them are the youth, quite tragic.
A final question, why should we espouse youth integration into mainstream politics when history is littered with failed and embarrassing examples of ‘young’ leaders debacles. Examples include abortive take-offs (Ruto, Ngala Jr, Juma Boy Jr, Kilonzo Jr, Kenyatta Jr, Mudavadi Jr, Khaniri Jr) and crash-landings (Jirongo, Khalif, Mmaitsi Jr). The recent by-elections were a classic aberration. Do you think Mirugi Jr. harboured some fervent leadership ambitions whilst in the lap of capitalistic America? I have always wondered why each time we go to vote, the only people you see on the queue are the ‘mambuyu na mamathee’. Where are the youth at that time, they are snoring off the exertions of the previous night’s party. So let’s not kid ourselves, our youth have been failed by their parents who should have inculcated into them motives, ideology and ambition for leadership. Now that these wazee are on their last lap we are suddenly confronted by a scenario where the later generations would rather see someone else do that ‘kibarua’ of leadership than undergo the strain themselves. Cry the beloved country!!!
NB: By the way Chris how sure are we that this campaign is not tailored to propel YOU to the gravy train and then leave your supporters gnashing by the wayside?
I dare say you have some very valid points here, Kijana.
ReplyDeleteBut who said it is going to be easy. I personally do not believe in going for easy things and neither have I been very successful at targeting easy things.
I will only answer your last question because its’ targeted personally at me and I would like other young people of Kenya to have their say on the other very valid points you have brought out.
It is quite possible that my objective is to use the young people of Kenya to “propel (myself) to the gravy train and then leave (my) supporters gnashing by the wayside?” as you have so eloquently put it.
However, even if that were my objective, my chances of success would be rather slim. To start with I am convinced that the next person to pull “a Kibaki” on the people of Kenya will be physically ejected out of State House, by the people of Kenya. Security or no security. That stunt will never work again in Kenya. Kenyans are completely fed up and their patience has reached the end. Kenyans are also very aware and are reading those intentions ofn greed and self-interest in current politicians easily (many will be shocked on election day.)
Secondly I would like to stress that right from the beginning I have used this blog to encourage others to come forward. If you check our earlier posts we were the first to push forward the idea of former ethics PS John Githongo standing for President and the Western media quickly picked it up but Githongo ruled out the possibilities of standing for President. In politics that means nothing and if he were to change his mind today, this blog would be at the forefront of supporting him. This blogger has presented himself out of desperation at the total lack of interest by the young people of Kenya at this hour of crisis. (They’re now just talking a lot but not taking any concrete action). You explain the reasons quite well. To me it just shows how much hard work will need to be done, because I believe it is possible. Hey, I would love to support you for president.
Our generation must learn from the mistakes of our fathers. Kenyans are yearning for selfless politicians offering themselves as true servants of the people.
I would like to invite you to join me and work with me and other young people of Kenya and see if at the end of the day you will see a selfish person bent on personal selfish gain. I invite you to take the risk of finding out. (By the way there is just one problem... I am well over 35 years old. I was born exactly 19 days after Kenya's indipendence. Eeeks!)
Thank you for taking the time to write such a long comment. I would love to have this passion working for our initiative. Remember that our target is not only the presidency, we also want to get into parliament as many young people as possible. It is what our country needs now.
Over to others to comment please.