Youths in the country have been challenged to vie for elective positions in the 2027 general elections.
The Universal Unity Party (UUP) youth wing maintains that the youngsters hold the potential to bring in the desired leadership changes they have been agitating for through fully participating in the next polls and rising to leadership positions.
Speaking during the party’s youth meeting in Kiambu County on Wednesday, the youth leaders led by Waweru Kimondo and Stanslus Mwangi maintained that the youth, through their numbers, will change the country’s leadership trajectory come 2027 and bring in leaders who will serve the country’s interests and foster social, political and economic stability.
“We will not go back to the streets to agitate for better governance. We have been presented with the opportunity to be the change-makers in the next general elections. We want as many youths as possible to vie for various seats so that we can rise to these leadership positions and bring in our desired change,” Kimondo said.
Kimondo noted that despite lack of adequate resources and failure to be recognized by the big political parties in the country, the youth will rely on their massive numbers and unity to propel their peers into the county assemblies, the National Assembly and the Senate.
“We are glad that there are parties [like UUP] which is recognizing and embracing the young generation. We are very optimistic that we will have youths as MCAs, MPs, Woman Representatives, Senators and even Governors in offices after the next polls,” he noted.
On his part, Mwangi reiterated that youths under UUP have embarked on civic education sensitization campaigns across the country to sensitize their peers as well as other members of the public to ensure they make an informed decision at the ballot.
“This time round we are not buying empty rhetoric and propaganda from politicians. We are going where our problems will be solved and where we will get quality and servant leadership,” Mwangi said.
Joy Medza, a youth leader from Kilifi County who’s eyeing the county’s Woman Representative position said that young people are ready to battle it out with seasoned politicians and bigwigs in the political arena at the ballot.
She quipped that the youth will give their experienced political nemesis a run for their money in the upcoming elections.
“We are going to shape the future of our country only by being part of the decision makers. We have suffered for years through bad leadership and one that only serves the interests of the elites while totally disregarding other masses. Our time is now,” Medza said.
She also divulged that mass recruitment of party members will kick off in a week’s time noting that they will be targeting mostly youths adding that UUP is anchored on fairness and democracy for all.
“Before recruiting them as party members we will be giving them civic education to ensure that they make an informed decision. We not only want to strengthen our party status but to also give Kenyans who share the same beliefs like ours a sense of belonging,” she quipped.
UUP party leader Robert Wairiri encouraged youths to register as voters ahead of the next polls saying that it is the only way to arm themselves to bring in the leadership change they yearn for.
“Enlisting as voters and turning up to cast votes during the election day is the only democratic way to chart the country’s leadership trajectory. I call upon all youths and especially the Gen-Zs to register as voters and be ready to vote in leaders who are aligned with their vision and interests,” Wairiri said.
His sentiments were echoed by the deputy party leader Zachary Ongeri who quipped that UUP sensitizing Kenyans to register as voters so as to vote in their leaders of choice come 2027.
“No one should be left behind and especially the youth who have since left high school since the last voter registration exercise. In fact the government should intensify sensitization campaigns to ensure that no one is left behind by virtue of lack of information, ignorance or otherwise,” Ongeri said.
