Recalling the heroic contribution to the course of freedom by the youth of 1950's and 60's, I see it befitting for the youth of today to reflect on the journey travelled thus far and what lies ahead of them.
Being one of them, it makes me proud about their energy, determination and dedication. Kenya is a youthful country.
With the highest youth population in the history, the nation has the greatest opportunity because with each young person, we have new ideas and new energy.
But we have to review the place of young people in the country by putting in place practical actions to improve their political participation at the national level.
Young people are a big asset worth investing in and that's why it's very important not to overlook their influence, especially young promising leaders.
With youth comes energy, innovation and optimism, such that if a supportive environment and opportunity exists they can transform the world.
On the other hand, alienated, frustrated, marginalised and excluded youth, who cannot contribute to any nation's agenda, is a huge loss and danger to humanity.
Despite the huge success in other areas such as innovation, young people rank poorly in elective leadership, largely caused by the immense obstacles that come with age limits as well as ethnically biased political mobilisation in Kenya's political landscape.
Creation of a conductive environment that minimizes intimidation and influence of money as a vehicle to elective seats should be initiated to help the youth, who are not on this financial level.
We have to make every available effort to build a country in which the youths can rise and be counted in all critical areas of political, social and economic life.
Empowerment of the youth politically is a fundamental human rights and economic issue that we should all strive to achieve.
The World Bank, for instance, observed in their recent survey that young leaders are best placed to understand the perspectives of the young generation.
With that in mind, we need to put their voices into the democratic process with fresh energy for more effective and efficient development outcomes.
The World Bank also found that young leaders are more likely to advocate legislation to promote vital issues such as human capital investment and creation of modern jobs.
We have come a long way as a nation and it is the appropriate time to take stock of the progress youths have made in leadership and see how we can strengthen it in the 2022 polls.
Only a particular kind of youths will have the capacity to dismantle the country’s stagnancy. These are youths who must first and foremost have unconditional love for Kenya. They are the youths who despise corruption, tribalism, nepotism and embezzlement.
These are the youths who are bold and who hold high moral standards and are authentic to other people as well as to themselves. They are the ones to lead Kenyans with integrity and credibility. They are the ones who will march forth with their chests out, shoulders squared up and heads held high, waving the flag of nationalism, calling upon all Kenyans to be bold and uphold the spirit of our country.
We need to elect youths who are able to think for themselves and are ready to stand against the ills in government and society. Otherwise, it will just be business as usual.
I want to challenge the youths who fantasize about going back in history and doing something small to improve the present that they should realize they could do something in the present to improve the future.
When you empower a young person, you empower a whole generation. To my fellow youths, don't give up on your dream, that of which you think about everyday. Don't give up on it. Don't you dare. Keep pushing, no matter the circumstances. You will finally win.
Gichuki Weru is a youth leader and political commentator
