Youth leaders drawn from political parties, civil society and private sector have requested the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel to give them a chance to appear before it as last minute push for democracy.
The youth leaders also pointed out in a statement issued on Saturday, February 15, the need for the Commission to have a minimum of two young and competent representatives, and that reconstituting the IEBC has a special importance to Kenya given that young people are generally disillusioned by electoral processes and that democracy must undergo a transformation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“The glory of this country will continue to deteriorate if young people will continue to play second fiddle in the civic life of this country. In spite of the systematic and hugely coordinated reprisal from the state, we must soldier on for the idea of a better Kenya is an ideal we must remain willing to live for but if need be to die for.”
They added that in the last elections, at least 13 million Kenyans “rejected our electoral processes” by staying away completely. “It’s instructive to note, that this number is almost twice as high as the number of votes that each of the two leading presidential candidates garnered in 2022,” they said.
Barometer Correspondent
Victor Adar
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