welcome to KYVA

Executive summary Kenya young voters alliance is a conglomerate of both organizations and individuals committed to ensuring that Kenya as a country manages to achieve set developmental goals to meet both the international and national set targets. The idea was mooted in 2004 by a group of university of Nairobi student leaders who saw the leadership challenges facing the country. After the victory of NATIONAL RAINBOW COALITION (NARC) party in the December 2002 elections, Kenyans especially the youth were optimistic that the victory of NARC marked real change in governance for better. Unfortunately that did not happen and one year down the line, the NARC government was full of high profile corruption where senior government officials including ministers were involved. By 2004, impunity and looting of public coffers had become a way of life against the earlier expectations of majority of Kenyans. For the aforementioned reasons, the student organization of Nairobi University (SONU) leadership resolved to work on a methodology that will ensure that new leadership out of the current system emerges. This was followed by a series of meetings with other university student leaders from both public and private universities. Bigger meetings were organized and it emerged that t unity of young people was paramount. . The resolution included urging all young leaders in all sectors to take part in political processes. It was decided that taking strategic positions in political parties will be part of the best ways of getting onto the stage of national leadership. The Kenya young voter’s alliance was agreed to be the name of the movement that will be entrusted to co-ordinate activities of youth organizations and institutions. The leadership of Kenya young voters’ alliance is drawn from politically conscious young people with leadership ambitions with diversity of backgrounds, experiences and ideas. The leadership is from different geographical locations and from different ethnic Kenyan communities. The principle of unity is to ensure absorption of young people in all leadership positions in the country. In the 2007, KYVA leaders played a critical role in both ODM and PNU campaigns. Majority of the leaders were part of the seventeen man team that spearheaded the youth campaign for president Kibaki. KYVA was entrusted to coordinate all the national youth campaigns in the recently concluded referendum that saw Kenyans approving the new constitution with overwhelming majority of 67 percent of the vote. The main mandate of KYVA was to marshal the young voters to support what was then the proposed constitution. The same leadership is now actively involved in political party activities of both partners of the coalition government; party of national unity and orange democratic movement. The alliance currently has networks in all parts of the country whose purpose is to ensure that with the new constitution, young people get opportunities of leadership in all the recently formed 47 counties. The alliance plans to organize consistent interactive sessions with young people all over the republic in the run up to 2012 elections. Our main goal is to educate young people on the benefits and opportunities that come with the new constitution. We also intend to educate them on the need of turning out in large numbers to register as voters and also turn out in large numbers to seek elective posts and also vote in large numbers. Background The following were the founders and vision carriers of KYVA Fwamba NC Fwamba An interior designer by profession born in Bungoma district in 1980.He grew up with a keen interest in leadership through the mentorship of his father who was a locally recognized leader both in church and other local leadership institutions.fwamba did his Kenya certificate of primary education (KCPE) in 1994 after which he joined Kibabii High school in 1995 where he studied for his secondary education. He sat for his Kenya certificate of secondary education in 1998 where he passed and qualified to join the University of Nairobi in the year 2000 where he pursued a degree in design. During his tenure at the University of Nairobi, Fwamba was elected vice chairman of the student organization of Nairobi University (SONU) IN 2003.Through student leadership; he leaned more about leadership and also got an opportunity to interact with many people in different sectors of the society. Through this he got to interact with national political leaders some of whom became an inspiration to him. It was during his tenure as the vice chairman of the student union that together with others, they formed the Kenya young voters’ alliance. After graduation, he worked shortly in different companies as a designer. In 2007, he resigned from his job to get involved in the works of civil society and eventually pursued a line of getting involved in mainstream politics. He believes in a country with better governance structures. He was among the team of the presidential youth advisory team during the 2007 presidential elections. Fwamba was one of the five people who spearheaded the youth campaigns in the just concluded referendum of august 2010.currently he is the director of elections of the political party new ford Kenya which forms part of the grand coalition government in Kenya. Kenneth Orengo He is a young businessman and professional with a degree in veterinary medicine from the university of Nairobi and born in Nairobi in 1980. All through his education he has been recognized as a leader culminating in his election as a student leader in various positions in the students’ organization of university of Nairobi. His experiences in leadership made him develop an interest in the politics of Kenya. The challenges he is going through as a youth in Kenya coupled with his belief that this can change for better have given him the desire to rise up to national leadership so that he can influence society and share his dreams for the country. He is currently the treasurer of New Ford Kenya which is a parliamentary political party in Kenya with one cabinet position. Tedd Munovi He served as a chairman of the students’ organization of university of Nairobi. He is a young professional with a lot of experiences in the economic, social and political issues affecting the youth having trained and graduated as a teacher. He has also participated in National politics serving as the Director of Election in NARC Kenya which was then President Kibaki’s proposed party for re-election, and then participating as a member of the 2007 presidential youth campaign team. He is currently in charge of public communications at Brand Kenya. Overall Goal Our overall goal is ‘to mobilize young people to participate in democracy and development of Kenya’. The specific objectives, goals, strategies and implementation of our strategies are contained in our strategic plan. Achievements 1. We have established national networks for young people who share our dreams 2. We are registered as a Trust in Kenya 3. we have an office in Nairobi 4. Our members have been elected into executive positions in Political Parties in Kenya 5. Success in grass root mobilization by working for victory in the recent referendum campaigns and the President’s re-election 6. Established meaningful partnerships 7. internet presence through blog (http://kenyayoungvotersalliance.blogspot.com) and face book Tasks to be accomplished include; 1. Establishing a web site 2. Marketing the web site 3. Carry out political leadership development programs for youth targeting 2012 elections 4. Open a Bank account 5. Completing the drafting and launching of our 2011-2015 strategic plan 6. Getting sustainable funding 7. Looking for more office space and furniture