“Paza sauti” is a campaign led by Kenya’s celebrities among them Dela Maranga. She has been campaigning through her music and influence on young people urging people to vote, especially the young people who, constitute the largest percentage of the Kenyan population. Kenya’s youth have the ability to determine the leadership the country will have if they register as voters and participate in the coming general election. Which brings us to one question, in as much as we have the right to vote, do we have to vote?
“You do not register as a voter because you are forced to do so by a leader. You register because you want to safeguard your future,’’ was the statement made by the president when he was speaking in Nakuru county, on Saturday morning mainly targeting the youth.
People cheered on after hearing that statement and among those people were some who were voting and those who were not. Among those not voting was a Nairobi University student named Shelmith who said that she does not see the point of voting. She further went on to explain herself saying that in all her 19 years she has always heard the politicians making promises to change Kenya for the best and yet somehow when they come to power they do nothing but take and give back nothing. “I really don’t see the point, I know at the end I will still be disappointed,” said Janet, another student, “ the worst part about this is the regret, knowing maybe you gave your vote to the one person who is doing nothing.”
But it was not all bad, some supported the statement saying that as Kenyan citizens we should vote because of we have the power to change everything. “ I think we have to vote because if you don’t, you will regret it,” said Sheila, a Strathmore university student, “ and you will be the first to complain knowing very well you did nothing to change the votes.
The question for the paza sauti campaign still remains. “in as much as we have the right to
vote, do we have to vote?”
This article was written by Capital Campus Correspondent Sheba Mokua.
