Kenya prides itself as having majority of its voting population being the youth.
Their participation in the August 9 general election will be crucial and might determine who wins the presidential race between Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga, as will be the case in parliamentary and country races.
Kenya has had a history of political violence but the events of 2007-08 election were blood-curdling. More than 1,300 people were killed and over 600,000 displaced in the violence that followed the contested election.
At the time, Raila was going head-to-head with President Mwai Kibaki, with the former leading in the tally before the controversy.
Every time the elections near, ethnic tensions heighten because almost all political parties in Kenya are formed along ethnic lines.
We have already started witnessing an increase in violence cases, majorly involving the youth.
On Friday, April 1, a group of boisterous youths stoned a helicopter that was ferrying Raila to Mzee Jackson Kibor’s burial in Uasin Gishu county. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations summoned two MPs, among them Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, who has been involved in other controversies. He has denied culpability but the matter is still under investigations.
While the government keeps saying it will handle such situations, four months to the polls, these incidents keep recurring.
As one Twitter user noted, many youths have been fighting for politicians who are only trying to sell their agenda to the electorate, but at the end of the day, they will go back to their lavish homes where they will be safe from any potential harm. The painful truth is that we, the youth, are being used by politicians so that they can get what they want — power. Be it at State House, Office of Governor, Parliament or county assembly, these people just need your votes.
So, where does this leave the youth?
The youth should thus be on the frontline in championing peace to prevent electoral violence. Youth criminality in Kenya has been a longstanding phenomenon, especially during elections, where some youth groups orchestrate violence.
Despite the fact that the youth are the majority, their participation in the electoral and political spheres has been limited. Even in terms of voters listing, the recent mass voter registration numbers among the youth were disappointing, considering the fact that they had two registration windows.
The country has progressive constitutional provisions to protect and advance youth and women's participation in politics. In addition, there are government agencies charged with ensuring full compliance.
They have, however, failed to ensure that these provisions are fully implemented, and the consequence has been lack of youth participation in public policy and decision-making forums.
As Kenya braces and prepares itself for the election, it should also be wary of the low-representation and participation of the youth in the country's politics. Over and above, Kenya should be wary of undercurrents of violence that have far–reaching implications for the country's future.
Despite the relative calm surrounding the previous 2017 polls, future peaceful elections are by no means guaranteed. If not properly managed, the coming polls can influence longstanding grievances and sectarian tensions serving as a flash point for violence.
Fortunately, elections offer promising opportunities to engage in deliberative preventive action, as they are scheduled well in advance.
Marvin Chege is a digital journalist and founder of ViralTea Kenya, Nairobi, while Jackson Ngari is a communication and media student at Rongo University
