NAIROBI, Kenya, July 19 – Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has called on Kenyan youth to actively engage in politics, warning that their continued apathy risks sidelining their interests in national policymaking.
Speaking at an ODM Young Captains Meeting, Sifuna emphasized the importance of youth participation in political parties and national discourse, saying decisions are often made by leaders who lack a true understanding of the challenges facing younger generations.
“Decisions are being made by people who do not understand what is going on, yet the people who do understand do not want to participate,” he said.
Sifuna stated that being the cream of the society, youth should scramble for leadership positions and strive to take a center stage in decision.
“If we are to talk about intergenerational dialogue and equity, then we must allow young people to speak and be heard,” the ODM Sec-Gen stated.
Sifuna warned that Kenya is in a political and economic crisis, and urged young leaders to be bold and vocal in demanding accountability.
Taking the youth through governance structure and political parties’ dispute resolution mechanisms, the ODM SG advised youth to strategically position themselves in decision making organs of political parties.
“You have to be bold. Our country is in a crisis, and we have a responsibility—because history will judge us. As leaders, you have to speak out. The country is in a bad place,” he said.
He said it is only through this that the interests of the youth, who are a majority of the marginalised groups, will be taken care of.
“We are urging our youth to come out and vie for positions within our political parties. They should not just be there to be seen but also to be heard,” she advised.
He also criticized the Kenya Kwanza administration, noting that ODM’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with President William Ruto had not yielded the hoped-for change.
“When ODM signed an MoU with President Ruto, we hoped it would usher in a new tone and that the government would stop doing the things they are doing. But instead, people are living in fear even today. We cannot have a country where the Head of State can say, ‘shoot people,'” Sifuna said.
