Today as the world marks International Youth Day, I couldn’t be prouder of the Kenyan Youth. An awakening of the populace, catalyzed by the youth across the country in the past three months, has jolted not only the nation but also the entire continent to the reality of our precarious situation; corruption, impunity, and serious mismanagement of resources.
The rippling effect of the awakening has been felt as far west as Nigeria. A beacon of hope in these torrid times in the African continent. However, the naysayers are questioning, what is next after the #nanenanemarch which faced a brutal crackdown from government forces.
“We are the labor force, we build their companies, we work their factories, we work their farms, we are the driving force behind tech, and yet we have nothing to show for it. Who do they think we are?” My friend Rono cried one evening as we settled into a game of poker and beer. The sentiment echoes through the vicissitudes of time.
A recent report shows that more than 67% of Kenyan youth are unemployed. Surprisingly, the majority of the unemployed are the products of Kibaki’s free education policy. Individuals who have learned to the highest echelons of education, with the intellect to show for it, are now jobless, helplessly watching as the leadership mismanages resources and loots the country to the ground, while shamelessly asking them to seek employment abroad. I ask you, what prevents them from agitating? Shouldn’t Kenya work for them?
But are the youth helpless? I ask again, is it true there is nothing you can do to upset the status quo? The youth are the future of any generation that walks the face of this earth. Besides, the Kenyan youth population is vibrant and the literacy level is the highest since independence, signaling the brimming potential that the political class is seeking to water down.
However, it is unfortunate, and we have to recognize that in the game of life, we have pawns and the King. But at the end of the game, both the King and the pawn go to the same box. So, as long as there is breath in your lungs, know the game is not over yet, and continue demanding better governance as it is your right. Do right by your country, and may your descendants not curse you for selling out the nation, as we blame the generation that came before us and is now, acting as gatekeepers. Do not relent!
