Youth should not be collateral damage in the battle for power

There is a Kiswahili proverb, fahali wawili wakipigana nyasi ndiyo huumia (when two bulls fight it's the grass that's injured). This proverb couldn't be better illustrated than in election periods, when many youth lose lives. 

Last weekend, two young Kenyans died in clashes in Murang'a County. Every time this happens, everyone focuses on the youth. After all, they are the ones with much to lose. 

The youth should, for once, put their interests before politicians’. Kenya has a high unemployment rate because of mismanagement by the same leaders who pay us to kill one another on their behalf. Why can’t they square it out personally with each other?

Another way to solve this problem, would be to engage the youth constructively. How many politicians have sat down and listened to the youths’ woes? 

With over 70 per cent of the population being youthful, it would be unrealistic not to expect them to participate in elections. But that participation does not have to include stones and machetes. 

Peaceful and productive

The youth, when engaged positively as we saw in the Kazi Mtaani jobs scheme, can be peaceful and productive. But all this will amount to naught if we don't deal with the financiers of the violence.

It is no secret that politicians bankroll violence. Commissions of inquiry are usually formed but, as usual, nothing comes out of them. No one is prosecuted for financing violence that leads to the death of mwananchi's children.

That shouldn't be the case. For example, political parties whose members fund the youth to instigate violence should be punished. That way each party will ensure that they don't tolerate warmongers.

The lives of the youth in Kenya shouldn't be collateral damage in the quest for political seats.