Engage youth in civic duty before they hit voting age

Just over 43 per cent of Kenya's population is aged under 15. Because the voting age is 18, this means that in Kenya, roughly half the population is not able to participate in selection of a leader. However, these young people are rarely, if ever, addressed directly, as they are not voters. A small minority of countries have a voting age of 17 (such as Greece, North Korea, Sudan and South Sudan) and even 16 (Brazil, Cuba, Scotland and Wales).

This being said, these are changing times. Since the late 90s, generations of young people are being born under the name "digital natives", referring to their catalysed tech access and literacy even in a time of wide digital gaps. They are savvier at connecting with each other, getting knowledge and have a lot more agency in demanding their rights and expanding the possibilities for their social participation.

This progress has been slow for adolescent girls and young women, who are held back by harmful gender norms and significant risks and realities of harassment and abuse.

However, in general, more generations of young people are much more plugged into life around them and are directly more affected by political realities than the groups that came before them.

It is becoming increasingly clear that this demographic should have a much larger say in the construction of their futures than they currently do. There are some clear ways in which we can make sure that the views and ideas of much younger people are centred in national political conversation and engagement.

Political youth wings

The first would be a window in political youth wings under parties of their choice, where they can take part in conversations and presentations that would then allow their parents and other relevant stakeholders to be more involved in their lives beyond the household level.

The second space for engagement is in media. Beyond adults repeating the same points each electoral cycle, programming can incorporate young people's voices in responsible ways. Furthermore, debates of candidates can also invite young people's questions specifically. Even if they are not voters, seeing candidates respect every young person would be key to envisioning how they treat traditionally marginalised and minoritised groups.

Finally, the electoral agency could work on a civic education campaign to teach the young about elections and political participation in engaging ways outside of school. It can be candid about the issues the nation faces, and hopeful about the potential of their increased participation and the possibilities of changing the future, as they organise and become more active in politics. In these ways, Kenya's young people can be gradually brought into civic work before they attain voting age, encouraging them to bring many potential futures of the country into being, and ensuring their inclusion in more strategies that focus on their best outcomes.

Ms Okore is a policy analyst. [email protected]