 Welcome back. This is why in the morning, if you're only just joining us, thank you so much for tuning in to Y254 TV, your number one youth station. Now my name is Ram Agukul. It is a pleasure being within this fine Monday morning. And of course today we want to focus on matters concerning youth and politics, what has been taking center stage in the past few days and what youths are saying in regards to matters concerning the nation. Now today I'm joined by aspirants who are vying for different parliamentary seats. You can see them on your screen next to me, Moses Ghashira vying for parliamentary seat at Madari. And of course to my father, I am with Elijah Oanga, also vying for parliamentary seat but in Dagoreti North. Dagoreti North, you're right. Karebusana. Thank you so much for firing time gentlemen and of course we value your feedback from home. Let us know why you're watching us from the Ashtag as always is why in the morning at Ram Agukul is my handle and the official station handle is at Y254. We are coming to you live from the broadcasting house here in Nairobi Kenya. We are also streaming with your live through our website and that's www.kebc.co. K-E-4 slash Y254. We'll just undergo from wherever you are and gentlemen, let's, I want us to start as we, before we get much into the conversation, I want us to start with where you're vying. Let's get to know a bit more about what you do for somebody who's getting to meet you today for the first time. I'll start with you and of course what plans do you have for your constituents? I got a variety of ideas on how to solve issues affecting our youth in Madare and not only the youth, it's everybody in Madare where the issues to do with healthcare, the issues to do with jobs, there are issues to do with water and sanitation, there are issues to do with drug menis among others. I intend to address these issues one by one. I have a lay out, lead out manifesto where I have elaborated my plans, I intend to tackle these issues. I also intend to address issues to do with corruption and you know corruption has been a very big issue in Kenya, especially Madare that most of our resources consistency have been going to individual pockets. I therefore intend to tackle those issues. Let me get from you still, you talk about drugs and of course we know the issue of security is an issue in Madare in your constituency. How are you going to handle this that is different from your other contestants that will make you stand out from the rest of the aspirants of Vangford, the same parliamentary seat in your constituency? I should begin by saying this, these issues are all intertwined. If you tackle the issue of security which we will do within 30 days of being erected into the office because the issues of security, it's very much possible to do because once we will be in the office we will be able to bring all the stakeholders of the Madare consistency, bring them to the table, discuss these issues, have them to agree that we are working for our people. You see the leaders that are in power currently they are not doing that, they have not been able to bring our people together and that has been a very great issue. The other thing is, if we can create jobs for youth and how do we do that? 90% of our youth or rather our population is in business, we will bring them into circles. These circles will be able to get money either from the youths fund or even from our banks, that one I will assist them to be able to register those groups and once they have registered we have improved those circles, we have brought those circles together into our particular body. Then we will be able to work closely together and ensure that we gather those money, deal with writing, writing is a very big issue in the Madare. Once we are able to tackle these issues, the issue of drugs will be gone since those youths go to drugs because there are no job opportunities, others turn into drugs because they are not being guided, properly guided, that one we will do. And you believe you will make a big change within 30 days? Definitely, within 30 days of the erection, I will be able to tackle that. That's very specific, I'm really interested in finding out more about that. But let me come to you Elijah, for somebody meeting you for the first time, let us know a bit more about what you do and why would you choose to vie for the parliamentary seat at Dagorati North? Thank you Ram and I'm grateful to be here this morning to catch up with the youth of Kenya, but most especially those of Dagorati North and this great city of Nairobi. My name is Elijah Ohenga, I've worked with young people over many years, I've empowered so many young people, I've been a student leader, student president in my university days and so I've been a champion for the youths and for the country. As a patriot, you transition but your desire for a better country remains intact. You said student leader, let me take you back a bit where? That was Baratun University, but I was also given a chance to be the student leader for all universities in Kenya at that time. We had a body, so I was at Baratun and then the Kenyan University Student Association 2008, that's when I was the student leader for all universities. But that said, now I find myself in Dagorati North where I've lived for a very long time and the issues my brother talks about in Dagorati North are the same issues in Madari. The same in Dagorati? The same issues we face in Dagorati. What has happened, this country has been churning out young people, every graduation we have about 70 universities, every graduation we are graduating 2,000, 3,000 young people to nowhere. So we have a lot of hopeless mass of youth in our constituencies who are not getting proper guidance, who are not getting proper facilitation. As soon as politicians are done with them after they vote for them, most of them are forgotten and buried. So we don't have genuine champions for the youths in this country. A lot of them are used for sloganeering. You've seen the election violence the other day in Jakaranda. So the youths of this country have to start saying no, this is not how we want to be engaged. We want to be at the economic table. The youths are usually mostly at the political side of things where they are used as bodyguards, they are used as drivers, high head class. But after the election, they don't transition from the political side of the conversation to the economic side of the conversation. As soon as they win, they now start looking for their old bodies, the potism kicks in and what happens? Across all constituencies in Kenya, the youths are shelved. But then how do you intend to transit them from the political side to the economic side? That's exactly what is in my manifesto. My manifesto is very pregnant heavy. I'll come back to you in a bit. Let me come to you as they check your sound. When we talk about Madari, we know very well that Madari is an area of great concern because it is within that area that we have the issue of economic empowerment. Let me be specific. How do you intend to empower the youths economically in Madari? I said this that 90% of the residents of Madari, most of the youths are in small businesses. Talk of a boda boda, small kiosks and so forth. All they need is to get the finances to be able to power their businesses. The area needs to be opened up for other investors. The area needs to be properly lit. How are we going to open up to investment because we have the slums that are up there? Yes, indeed. How do you intend to do that? You cannot handle one and leave the other. We will be done together. The security issue is an issue that we will begin to tackle immediately. I said we will be tackling the issue of security. With Madari, the investors can't go there simply because there is no security. We have enough police officers to patrol the area. We will enhance the police to be able to patrol the area properly. We will ensure our leadership in terms of education leaders ensures that our kids go to school. No one drops out of school. If there are those boda boda kiosks, they are being supported and they are registered to circus. If you register those groups into circus and empower them and ensure that they get the money that they need. Most of them even don't know whether they can get money from the boda. You mentioned circus earlier on, but I'm going to look at the strategy that you're going to use. I'll ensure that they are registered. That is one. Immediately get to the office. In that days. Once I get in, there are so many groups. It's only that they are not registered. You register them today, tomorrow they will be getting their money. And again there is that kid that belongs to the youth. They've not been able to be assessing that kid. That one I'll ensure they get that kid. The other thing is, we said that you write up the area. You are improving the security. Once you improve the security, there is the lipo effect that goes along with it. And with the lipo effect, you see people, youths that were working for maybe nine hours, are able to work till midnight. The other thing is, you attract investors to Madare. By improving security, those investors begin construction jobs. Those are direct jobs. Madare has been an area where we've seen it becoming a hotspot when it comes to riots. Indeed. This is an issue, especially now that we are in an electioneering period. How do you intend to empower the youth so that that will not be an issue that is happening in the future in Madare? Indeed. In all my campaigns, I've been preaching peace. And this way, I'm able to encourage them. I'm giving them hope. I'm promising them once we're in the office, we'll be able to tackle these things. And they are buying into my ideas. I'm very sure if all the other political opponents are able to do that, then the violence will be a thing of past. It's only that once an opponent realizes that they are making a marriage, then they begin to hype up emotions around maybe ethnic crimes, a very literal amount to the boys and girls in Madare, and probably the cost parents. They don't do this out of will. They do it out of poverty. The poverty levels in Madare is out of this world. I'm sure. By working for them and promising. I have a problem with youth in Kenya currently. They've been promised these things before, but people have not done the duty. We're trying to convince them that it's becoming a challenge where I'm trying my heart, but we have to engage them directly for them to buy into our ideas, which I'm doing on a daily basis. And I'm happy that you've given us this platform that we're able to address these issues with them. What you're taking in regards to leaders who have been accused of perpetuating these riots? Well, there are so many bodies that are supposed to handle that. And I believe this here is in a capacity to handle that. We should leave politics to politicians and around these bodies to do their work as Kenyans. It's we Kenyans that bring these things, or rather make these things worse. By politicizing these bodies. And once we do this, we are damaging our institutions. It's not good to see our youth getting into violence. And these are the issues. Let me come to Elijah. Earlier on you were about to mention your manifesto. Yes. You can proceed with that. And then after you've done with that, you can also let us know your thoughts in regards to what I was asking him, youth participating in riots. Ram, I was wondering when I'll come into this conversation. I hope my microphone is now okay and working correctly. I believe so. So the same issues we face in Madari are the same issues the youth is integrating or facing. So if you look at my manifesto, I have mentioned a number of key issues. Number one, we are going to be paying bursaries for a lot of young people to acquire skills in carpentry, in mechanics, in welding, in plumbing, in electrical, in tailoring. And what this will do, we will then uplift the economy of Dagoreti North because the mechanical shops around are the ones we will utilize as vocational centres to train the existing youths on acquiring skills and attempting to get them off the streets, off crime, off drugs and alcohol parties. And you've got the resources to facilitate such kind of thing. Of course. And then we've been to school. We can write proposals. There is a lot of funding available when you have a credible leader in position of power. We are also engaging with the youths in the view of Dagoreti North apparently doesn't have a single stadium, a single sports centre, a single resource centre. They don't have a room or studio such as this where young men and women talented in music, in art, in craft can nurture and polish their talent. So I'm going to be a champion. We keep talking about youths not because we are ignoring the women and the older folk, but it's because if we don't address the issue of youth, then we will not address the issue of crime, we will not address the issue of alcohol and drugs abuse. So the youth issue in this country is becoming a tragedy. We are no longer talking about al-Shabaab because that's an external threat. The threat now that we face in Kenya is an internal threat. Massa and massa of youths in Kibera, in Madari, in Dagoreti North, educated, talented yet forgotten. In Dagoreti North, I can tell you Ram, is the home of talent. We have so many manyalas in Dagoreti North. We have so many Ronaldinios in Dagoreti North. But who has catered for them? Yes, we've put a lot of money in Expressway, we've put a lot of money in the SGR, but do you know that does not target even 5% of the youths in Kenya? Yes, a few will work there. But if that kind of money is put in innovation hubs across all the words in this country, in sports centers across all the words of this country, then we will start seeing better fortunes for this country Kenya. So for instance in Dagoreti North, I'm going to be lobbying to have a sports center. I know we have issues with land and all that. But if we don't get that right, then why are we taking all this talent? But then how do you intend to empower them in terms of job creation and employment? Because that is an issue also still in Dagoreti. So if I set up vocational centers where they train to acquire skills and then you see what America does and Europe does, they make something, polish it, give it a brand name, Mercedes-Benz. If you go to Gikomba, we have so many innovations. What the African has not been able to achieve is to finally brand what they have innovated and package it to sell to the rest of the world. There seems to be a ceiling of what we can be able to do and achieve. So I've been around Dagoreti North areas of Kabiru, Gatina, Kawangwari, the amount of talent visible in skills, in even acting. Look at Lupita Nyongu. How many Lupita Nyongu are hidden in Kawangwari. But if Lupita, I feel like if she wasn't well to do, she would still be with us here in Kawangwari. Do you know Papa Shirando Lahondi's skills in Gatina area? So I'm saying there is a lot of talent in our constituencies, especially Dagoreti North. What we have not done as a nation is to put money in areas where these talents can be nurtured, polished, packaged, then commercialized. I'm looking at the aspect of security in Dagoreti North because we've seen, as he was mentioning, you said youths tend to riot because there is a lack somewhere. And you mentioned that lack being connected to the economic malnutrition that we have there. Still on you. We've got leaders who have been accused of perpetuaring these riots. And I will pick an example of what happened yesterday because yesterday we had some riots that took place in Jakaranda East. And the UDA, through their secretary, of course, they said that later. And in this later, they want Mbakasi East member of parliament, Babu Wino, who they alleged to have sponsored the chaos to be disqualified from contesting as the leader. Of course, this is still an allegation. Now, what are your thoughts in regards to such kind of conversations that go around, especially at a time like this when we are going towards an election? In fact, in the words of Martin Luther King Junior, violence begets violence. A tooth for a tooth lives as all toothless, a knife for a knife lives as all blind. I think it's time the youths totally reject in total the issue of violence because who gains when they are violent? It's not the youths, it's their masters. And who loses, it's the youths. I saw one with a bloody pupil. You saw it's a young man. So, they are the perpetrators, they are the victims, they are the losers. We gain nothing from that conversation. And I feel in decorating everywhere I go, I preach peace because those who have been in power for too long, they know when the youths come down, unite and start addressing their agendas, those that are in power will be in trouble. So, what they do, they keep funding this cycle, vicious cycle of violence such that we don't come down for a minute to say, hey, wait a minute, we've been violent all these years, what have we benefited from it? Because the day back when we were violent, they've lacked. World War One and World War Two was about bronze. But the generation now is about the brains. We need to start engaging less the fists and more our brains because no one ever got rich by punching so many people apart from Tyson and the Vander Holyfield. So, that's a different conversation. So, if we choose then to use our minds and our brains, we will have better fortunes than what we are doing currently. So, the Great North is going to be a peaceful constituency in my leadership. We commit to that today, tomorrow, yesterday. What we want to be engaged in is how do we get innovation hubs in the Great North? How do we turn these mass youths into skilled commercial entities that can then be dignified in earning an income? Let me come to have a final word in regards to that particular issue here on security. On riots, sorry, yes. On riots. I would repeat the same statement that he is making. Violence begets violence. It's important for our youth to refuse to be drawn into this kind of political shenanigans. And with Madale, that's where I suppose this problem originates because most of our youths are not employed and do not have any form of rivalhood and as such, they can be used and they have been used previously. And of course, I love the fact that in Madale also, just like Dagoreti, we've got lots of talent there. A lot of them. In fact, Madale may be more than Dagoreti. That we may need to check properly. I will show you for lack of facts. I say maybe. I think from here I'm taking him for a walk in Dagoreti. That is the home of football. That is the home of music. That is the home of art. Dagoreti is the home of craft. I have a young man who's made me four pairs of shoes. Amazing. I'm already wondering how to package and export art. I should have worn one pair here. I mean, I feel I've let him down. You should come with me, my brother. You will wash it for a minute. You will have a pair of shoes. Yes. Pure leather. I've already put them. By the way, for me empowerment I've been doing it. So I have a team of young people who do leatherwork. I have a team of young people who do art. I have a team of carpenters. I have a team of welders. I have a team of guys who make hoodies from scratch. So we import a roll of cotton and they stitch from scratch. So maybe next interview should be on location run. Yes. We need to do that. And of course I'd like to compare my brother and Dagoreti which one has more talent than the other. I know where you'll spend more time. I won't tell you here. You see, mother, this is a very tiny consistency. Very tiny. We have a very big population. And going around walking, you can even do it within maybe 3-4 hours. That is walking around Madari. I want to talk about one issue that is very, very important especially in our country because it affects everything across the board. Corruption. And at the end of the day, even in our constituencies our youths are affected by corruption. And we may not be able to do much but we can do something. What do you think we need to do as a country? And of course even as an individual when it comes to fighting this aspect of corruption because it is killing our youths. Unfortunately, Ram corruption is endemic in this country. From a very young age, our teacher still chokes as the principal still fuel money for the school bus as the DO still funds as the county commissioner still this as the CS stills this as everybody, as the police so we lack a value system as a country and we must start admitting that corruption permeates every fiber of our being. The preachers, even churches are corrupt in Kenya. Bishop sell fake miracles. I don't know any agency in Kenya that is corruption free. Look at our national exams. They leak every now and then. There is a problem where everybody in Kenya seems to be corruption compliant. A cop stops you and immediately you are thinking how much you want to offer him. I was in the UK for seven years. Never once did I see a police officer take a bribe. Never once I waited for it and I waited for it. So this country until and unless we accept that corruption has permeated every fiber. The young children look at them playing nowadays. They infuse corruption into their play. Even when they are trying to play a football match they will try to win over the other team corruptly. So we need more than prayers when it comes to corruption. We need to look at this thing with a new pair of eyes the issue is the value system that we have inculcated from a very early age. We make stealing exams. Even teachers supervise how they will help the kids steal exams. So what happens to those kids when they grow up to be doctors? They leave Kenyatta Hospital and go to a private clinic. What happens to a police officer who saw the teacher help them steal exams? He doesn't bother and what happens eventually money meant for cancer goes to politicians pockets. Money meant for ARVs goes to politicians pockets. So we lack a conscience as a nation and that is why nothing else seems to move because 90% of every other budget almost is factored towards corruption. Mora it also regards the value and ethics that we've got because at the end of the day every leader that comes to campaign talks about good value they say I am good I will bring this but after a period of time we hear the same person that was campaigning being accused of being corrupt. Let me say this to begin with it all boils to leadership the leadership should start from the top you see when the president stands on a podium and tells us that he can't do anything about corruption then definitely he is admitting that he is unable to do the job that we have given him to do so I am assuming that our leadership should be serious we should direct serious leadership into the office to ensure at least for a start we get leaders that are able to address corruption you see we pretend to borrow heavy from the west when it comes to these other issues but when it comes to the way they had their corruption then it becomes a totally different borrow game you look like a country like China what do they do to their lives? they shoot them to death you go to the US the death penalty is still there but when it comes to Kenya you can't kill our people you've seen Wajakoya's manifesto he is saying he will hang roots party on that one we can share with Wajakoya but when those other issues maybe we may not share the same if we had a leadership if Wajakoya knew how much of a problem we have with drugs he will go slow on that bang issue and to sell and to our young people when it's the one that has them in trenches can he come to Magedondia and I'll show him young people strewn all over from drugs and alcohol abuse but on corruption he will agree with him not to shoot a hang people and I disagree with you a bit corruption will not end from the leadership the voter is corrupt so we get a corrupt leader but where do you begin? the root is down here you can never go up to solve if the roots are rotten the top will be forever rotten so the aspect of everything it is ask the voter to start listening give him a chance he is young fresh the other one who has been there maybe he is using money so what happens if the voter is corrupt he will keep getting that bad leader so if we expect the leaders to change how is that possible Ram? if they want to direct all the leadership good leadership that's what I'm saying the problem is with the voter ya that's the issue so we agree there if the voter doesn't change then the top the leaves will never change if your roots are weak the leaves will be forever weak so we cannot change science and nature even with that we are not supposed to hate the tree while the roots bring forth to the tree so in the biblical speaking if a tree doesn't bear fruits the whole of it is true so it's back from the voter but even with that the voter must be educated on the need to have a good leadership the voter must be taken through that journey to ensure he or she gets the right people because right now you go to the barot you find like 20 candidates that kind of getting to them is the issue we need to go to the grassroots talk to the voter convince him or her see to it that we get the right leadership gentlemen I want us to bring this conversation to a close I'm told time is on our side and I want to give you time to have a final word thank you so much for airing your thoughts to the different issues but what will be your parting shot and I would like you to talk to the Kenyan youth that is watching you today let me start with you and of course I believe that is your camera that is your camera okay good morning once more to the youth of this country I plead with you this is another time that is your camera we are here to plead with you vote for a good candidate vote for a corruption free candidate vote for that leader who ensure things are done for Madari youth I'm pleading with you work with me vote for me let's ensure that our resources are protected and when you do this we will have a better Madari alright let me come to you camera is yours thank you Ram for hosting me this morning and thank you to the Y254 Imaging Team very proud of the team here I can see a lot of youthful people in this station and I'm very proud of what KBC is doing for the Great North and the rest of the country since 1963 we've had so many false thoughts we've kept hope waiting at the bay it is time now as a nation to re-look at how we've engaged in the past since 1963 corruption is endemic schools and the curriculum needs to be re-looked at health centers this is the only country where I have seen such enormous cost for health someone goes to the hospital even Kenyatta Hospital a week or two and the bill is 3 million I don't know anyone in Kenya who's not in a WhatsApp group Kuchangia Matanga and Kuchangia Hospital this has to stop we are an extremely wealthy country but we've only worked to benefit the top 1% it is time Kenya works for all and in the Great North I intend to fast and foremost educate the young masses that they have power in their minds and they have power in their votes if you choose to vote the right leaders from Madari to Dagoreti North to Kibira to Lamu to Lokichogyu to Lodwa then what begins to happen the quality of conversations in parliament will begin to change will begin to address the issue of high cost of living will begin to address the issue of mass unemployment will begin to address the issue of health will begin to address the issues of corruption in a way that is different from yesterday so I plead with you because you are the masses Kenya has about 70% youths but when you transition to parliament it is only 6.5% that is a tragedy again how can we be the majority yet we produce the least number of parliamentarians and also don't just look at the youth look at the quality of youth they are those youths we propelled to positions of power and all they sell back to us is violence and more violence later as a country as a nation as a young generation fight for our future God bless you and I seek your vote in Dagoreti North because I want to be your leader to champion your rights thank you very much Ram gentlemen it has been a pleasure I wish you guys the best keep watching today you do your part and do it well because at the end of the day the future of this country and the future of where you stay lies and the kind of vote you will cast I believe so gentlemen thank you that's very true thank you so much I wish you guys the best and of course keep talking to us that's like as always is one in the morning