THE ROLE OF YOUTH IN ELECTORAL PROCESSES.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 defines youth as any individual between 18 and 35 years in age. Equally, many of the country’s different youth development programmes have the same categorization. According to this categorization, youth constitute more than a third of the entire population, while nearly 80 per cent of Kenyans are less than 35 years old. The population of Kenya’s youth grows annually by an estimate of about 400,000[1]. Narrowing it down to the most recent General Elections that were held in Kenya in August 2017, by end of February 2017, we had a total of 19.6 million registered voters out of which 50.7% of that total was youth. That is, 9.9 million voters[2]. That is to say, young people in Kenya’s political landscape therefore represent the largest demographic unit and political constituency. And, effective participation of youth in politics is critical to democratic developments both in Kenya and generally around the globe.

Inclusive participation is a fundamental political and democratic right as highlighted in the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Article 55 of the Constitution elaborates on the rights of the youth and their contribution to national development. It places an obligation on the state to take measures, including affirmative action programmes to ensure that young people have access to education, training and opportunities for association, representation and participation in political, social, economic and other spheres of life. Article 100 further charges Parliament with an obligation of enacting legislation to promote the representation of women, persons with disabilities, youth, ethnic and other minorities, and marginalized communities in Parliament. There is also a provision for young people in governing bodies. For example, Article 98 of the Constitution states that the composition of the Senate must include 47 members, two of which must represent the youth[3].

The Kenya National Youth Policy has also been designed to recognize the needs and concerns of young women and men and attempts to address issues affecting young people to enable them to reach their maximum potential[4]. Kenya´s National Youth Council as established through the National Youth Council Act in 2009 is mandated to co-ordinate youth organizations, design and continuously review the National Youth Policy[5].

However, time and again, we have evidently noticed that young persons are often marginalized from formal political processes. Many are times we have evidenced that during General Elections, young people are merely used as voters. And a few who get lucky participate as electoral contestants and electoral administrators. Young people bring new visions and ideas to the political sphere. They are, therefore, key democratic stakeholders and should therefore be involved in political processes appropriately.

Electoral management bodies (EMBs) play a critical role when it comes to engaging youth in electoral processes. Traditionally, EMBs have aimed to increase turnout among youth through targeted campaigns for youth to register and vote. In recent years, these approaches have included the use of internet and social media. However, there is a need for EMBs to develop more sophisticated approaches and to consider alternative methods that will produce higher involvement among youth (IDEA 2015).

For instance:

1. In engaging youth as voters in electoral processes, EMBs may work with ministries and authorities responsible for education to develop school curricula and materials on democracy and elections. In doing so, EMBs help build a foundation for responsible, participatory and engaged citizenship and awareness of citizen–state relations, roles and responsibilities. EMBs in some countries have also been involved in the organization of ‘democracy weeks’ (e.g. in South Africa) and interschool competitions whereby students compete with their peers on their knowledge on democracy issues (e.g. in Botswana). Regarding social media platforms, EMBs might need to develop social media policies or guidelines and monitor mechanisms to avoid postings that could compromise their impartiality. EMB voter education activities can also aim address young people’s motivation and preparedness to participate constructively in elections. This may involve working with civil society and political parties (including their youth wings) to organize seminars and voter education campaigns[6].
2. In engaging youth as electoral contestants in electoral processes, EMBs can contribute to enhanced youth participation in political spheres by supporting youth candidates to contest elections. EMBs can help political parties and youth candidates to enhance generational representation by, for example, offering training to youth contestants. Providing these contestants with knowledge of the electoral environment and the legal framework governing elections (including rules and regulations linked to campaigning) may help them run more effectively. EMBs can also engage with political parties to lower intra-party barriers which prevent youth from reaching electable positions. Such work could go beyond promoting non-discrimination in party codes of conduct[7].
3. In engaging youth as electoral administrators in electoral processes, EMBs may also take a more proactive approach to integrating young persons within their own organizational structures. Young people have different, and largely untapped, skill sets. In particular, they are more tech-savvy than their older counterparts. At the same time, EMBs are increasingly resorting to technologies both in their daily work and in their management of election operations such as voter registration and results management. Young people who grew up with the Internet, email and social media as part of their daily life and working routine may hence bring added value to the work of EMBs. EMBs should also consider mainstreaming and targeting youth in their human resources policies[8].

In its subsequent General Elections since the 2007 Post Elections Violence, Kenya has been experiencing a somewhat peaceful political transition after elections. But a break from the violent past has not translated into improved prospects for stability and development for the country. The country still exhibits some fragility especially during the electioneering period which undermines its democracy and development. The country still faces a large skills gap of its work force as the massive numbers of unemployed young people, constitute a large group of those unskilled. In essence, Kenya’s economic growth has not been sufficiently inclusive with almost half of its overall population living below the poverty line. This has had a negative effect on the country’s economy. There is therefore a strong need to create opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalized groups, in particular young people to avoid this. Young people’s active inclusion in governance and political processes spaces is therefore not only a socioeconomic imperative but also key to preserving a stable economy and building peace.

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[1] http://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/em/elections-and-youth/the-case-of-kenya 29.07.2019

[2] Youth Electoral Participation 2017 Quick Facts by Youth Agenda

[3] Constitution of Kenya 2010

[4] Kenya Development Youth Policy

[5] National Youth Council Act 2009

[6] Policy Brief by Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) on Youth Participation in Electoral Processes: New Roles for African Electoral Management Bodies

[7] Ibid

[8] Ibid

Written by; Michelle V. Aluoch