Wake up and smell the coffee

Kenya: Politicians pulling out all the stops in scramble for the youth vote

By Jeff Otieno

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Posted on October 28, 2021 15:22

Virus Outbreak Africa Kenya © Young Kenyans walk past an informational mural in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Young Kenyans walk past an informational mural in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

With another general election around the corner, leading presidential contenders are pulling all the stops to win the support of the youth, who are already disillusioned with the empty promises that characterise Kenya’s politics. The big question is: who will win over this key voting bloc?

30-year-old, John Waweru is disappointed with the state of affairs in Kenya and has vowed not to vote in next year’s general election.

In 2017, Waweru, who hails from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s backyard of Kiambu, woke up before sunrise to cast his ballot for the ruling Jubilee party, whose manifesto resonated with millions of youth across the country.

Two major promises [that the] Jubilee party made to the youth [were creation of] 1.5 million jobs every year and […] double-digit economic growth. Since 2017, the two have remained a pipe dream.

“I was on the queue [from] as early as 6am. However, looking back, I regret [wasting] my […] time,”  says the father of two children, who lost his job as a waiter in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, early last year.

According to Waweru, politicians make numerous promises to the youth every election year, but forget about them once elected, only to come

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