NYCIII SHOULD ADDRESS THE PLIGHT OF A REVOLUTIONARY GENERATION.

Over the last one-decade, young people in Kenya have ventured into various political activities with an aim of shaping the future of this country and creating a niche for themselves to get into positions that affect policy formulation and governance. The first national youth convention held in 1997 suggested possibilities and strategies of young people organizing themselves and bracing for leadership. At that time it was so common for most of senior politicians saying that the youth are leaders of tomorrow. It’s a big challenge today to the youth of that time to realize that yesterday’s tomorrow is today. Therefore its pertinent as we near the third national youth convention in august for the young people to look back and see how much has been achieved since the last convention was held. The matter of progress must be well scrutinized and assessed as young people especially those who participated in the first and second convention prepare for the next national youth convention. It’s also important this being an election year for youths to know how many people are keen on advancing to national leadership as a result of this kind of civic education. So far a number of young people have declared interests in vying for parliamentary seats, but it’s yet to be seen if such a move will help young people get to the helm of power. Its though a pity that a number of political parties and even presidential candidates have little attention to the issues concerning the youth within their manifestos and visions respectively. It’s however significantly noticeable that only Ford Kenya as a party has given room to full participation of young people in their activities. according to a report in one of the local newspapers its also commendable that some young people have resorted to forming and running their own political parties as ripe grounds for bargaining such groups include the Vijana Progressive Party(VIPA) and the Kenya youth movement(KYM) and youth lobby groups like the Kenya Young Voters Alliance(KYVA). The biggest challenge during the convention should however focus on more serious avenues to power for the young people. It’s important to develop a National Youth Manifesto that should be the target of achievement for whoever will win the forthcoming general elections. It should also be noted that as the young people clamour for positive chance all political advances and support should be ideologically based and not necessarily assumed that age is an automatic qualification for one to cause positive change within the political, social and economic circles of this country. It’s however challenging that a number of young leaders have not embraced any specific ideology that can be sustained for years. The revolutionary generation should ensure that a policy paper for posterity is drawn, just like what the communist party under Fidel Castro did in Cuba after taking power in from Batista .they had sustainable policies and ideologies that have remained consistent to date. Most of the professional and politically conscious young people who are ambitious are so determined that change from poverty, corruption, insecurity and negative ethnicity will only be realized through them. That is why the young people should be more aggressive and be more focused as we approach the elections for this is the only opportunity to exercise their democratic right by electing a president who will be conscious of handing power to a younger generation. Thus its main focus should be to develop a political ideology that can make Kenya an economic superpower through use of intellectual human and natural resources The NYC III should therefore be able to come up with a unique and most practical way to realization of meaningful socio/economic/political change in line with modern challenges to governance. FWAMBA NC FWAMBA BOX 41046, NAIROBI +254721779445