The launch of the VGG in Nyali sub-county on Friday / BRIAN OTIENO
Fauzia Kassim speaks after the launch of the VGG in
Nyali on Friday / BRIAN OTIENO
Youth in Mombasa have launched a platform where
they will be discussing critical governance issues that affect them as youth.
The Vijanaaz Governance Garage (VGG) is a space
where the youth will empower themselves with skills and knowledge that will
help them get access to critical information on governance and how the country
runs viz-a-viz how it is supposed to run.
“We know that when you go to a garage, nothing
comes out before it is well repaired. As youth, we have decided we will no
longer sit back and watch as politicians take the country to the dogs. We must
repair our country,” Mary Maina, the brains behind the idea, said.
She spoke during the launch of the VGG at Shauri
Yako area of Mkomani, in Nyali sub-county on Friday.
Maina, who is the Centre for Resilience and
Sustainable Africa (Cefresa) executive director, said youth have seen the need
to fully involve themselves in the running of the country so as to stop the
wanton corruption taking place in government at both levels.
She said the Gen Z protests in 2024 rekindled a
desire for a better Kenya and the VGG is leveraging on that desire for a better
Kenya to create awareness on what needs to take place in Kenya for development
to occur.
“We felt it is time to journey together as youth
through the VGG so we can at least discuss issues that affect them as youth and
find ways of getting solutions to those issues,” Maina said.
She said the VGG will give an opportunity for the
youth to self-examine themselves and decide what should be done to fight the
monster that is corruption in the country.
Maina said she came up with the idea after getting
tired of empty and unfulfilled pledges from politicians who only use the youth
to get to power and abandon them after.
“When we talk about value-based leadership, what
is it exactly that we should expect from our elected leaders? The VGG will
offer an opportunity for the youth to reboot and start thinking critically
before taking any action at the polling station,” she said.
She noted that youth have the power to change the
country but only if they are empowered enough to realize what they want and how
they can achieve it.
Maina said youth in the country have not lost hope
and there is a chance for them to make a difference.
The VGG will use different talents and
personalities to trigger that awakening in other youth.
There will be performing artists who will use
their talents to call for change and incite a change of attitude towards
leadership.
“This is a diversity model where different voices
can be heard,” she said.
Evans Wambura, a Mkomani resident, said Kenyan
youth need to come together in unity and use their numbers to demand a bigger
share of the national cake.
He said youth have the power to demand better
leadership if only they realized their strength.
“We are not here because of politics. We are here
to enlighten each other and make sure we have a better future by making better
choices at the ballot,” Wambura, a performing artist, said.
Fauzia Kassim, a worker at the Kenya Community
Support Center (Kecosce), said the launch of the Vijanaaz Governance Garage comes
at a time there are many governance questions that have not been answered.
She said Kenya is teetering towards the 2027
general elections where there will be governance issues that need to be
addressed before Kenyans make choices about their next crop of leaders.
“The garage comes a time when the continuous voter
registration has been launched. We will be urging fellow youth to register as
voters in large numbers to strengthen our voice,” Kassim said.
She said Kecosce will be empowering the youth by
equipping them with knowledge on accountability and transparency.
“Many youth involve themselves in youth activities
but are not properly trained on how to detect transparency and accountability
issues,” Kassim said.
She said some youth have expressed interest in
political seats and they need all the support they can get because they do not
have the financial muscles to put up a serious campaign.
“We need our youth to set the bar high so that anyone who wants to compete in the political arena can think twice before throwing their hats into the ring,” Kassim said.
Instant Analysis:
Youth make up about 70 per cent of the population in Kenya but find themselves outside the decision making table. The youth feel it is time they step up to demand their space at the table.
