 And we are back with some more of youth and politics. Please remember if you do have any comments and contributions, if you want to say something, make sure you talk to us on our social media platforms at Y254 channel on Twitter. The hashtag is Y in the morning. On Facebook, we're at Y254. On Instagram, we're at Y254 underscore channel. And on YouTube, in case you miss any of the valuable insight here, it's at Y254 channel. So with me in studio, we are well represented. We want to discuss the future of youth representation in Kenya. And with me in studio, I have John Mwegueru, who is going to be our political analyst of the day. I have Abhiche Bed, who is the youth governor of Bomet County. And then I have himself, John Mwegueru, who comes here a lot, by the way, the youth senator of Lykipia. So before we get into the conversation, we'd like to talk about some of the trending topics here, especially because Lykipia is very well represented. If you are following on Twitter, there is a hashtag going around called justice for Moseti. This is a Lykipia University student who was murdered or killed, rather, because of allegedly stealing equipment from the science and mathematics department. The perpetrators of the crime is allegedly some security officers. And I'd like to hear from the youth senator of Lykipia County. What are you doing about this? Because I hear this is not the first time this has happened in this university. So let's talk a bit about that, John. Well, thank you for that. Yesterday was a very sad day for us. A young man, a student at Lykipi University, by the name Moseti, was allegedly killed by the school authorities. This adds to another case of extrajudicial killings that have been happening in this country. On the eve of Christmas, we also saw a student at Kibera, a former university student, John Cullington, was shot dead again by the police. And these are acts that we are condemning that the people who are supposed to guard us are the people who are killing us. Actually, immediately for me, I'm made into Lykipia. We have a very big demonstration. And we want to petition Aipoa to get the people who are concerned with the killing of the students so that they can be brought to book to serve as a punitive example to the rest. And again, also on Wednesday, we will have a big demonstration in Nairobi led by the UN chairman, Manjara, to demonstrate on the death of the Linz University student who was shot dead by the police. And one, the police of continuing killing students and other innocent youth, because we are the future of this country. But the people who are guaranteed to maintain law and order, they are the same people who are operating the same law and order, and they are continuing enjoying the freedom while the constitution is clear that it could be 26, that everyone has the right to life. Okay, Abid, do you want to weigh in on the topic? Yeah, indeed. Concerning the situation about the Lykipia student, it's so wrong to take action by your own hands. This could have been taken by a law of action in the courts, and a better ruling would have been done for the situation. We wouldn't have lost a student who would come back to the society and change the situation, yes. John, you seem to be on the other side of town when it comes to this particular topic, so let's just hear. One thing, I have a very wide integration with the authorities department, and I'd love to challenge our youths, our youths too. When you are addressing insecurity, when you are addressing police brutality, when you are addressing extra judicial killings, there are some factors that we need to lay down. There is one factor that is consistently ignored, that these students were stealing. So this student was not straight. He was not walking home. He was not running on his errands. He was a thief. I wouldn't really support the taking of life, neither would I support the extra judicial killings, but I think that we need to respect the law, and we need to uphold it. When it comes to the police extra judicial killings and when it comes to the police brutality, the police go to colleges, the police are taught. In fact, one of the key statements that the National Police Service is very keen on is the cohesive integration of the people and the society and the police service. So it is out of sheer arrogance that you'll find a police officer maiming or either harming an innocent person. That one I wouldn't agree to. But when you are addressing the issues of somebody who is a culprit of a certain act that is not in law, then there are so many factors that are needed to be concerned. Well, so you subscribe to the School of Thought that the wages of sin is death. All right, interesting. So let's move away from that topic. I think we look forward to your demonstrations. We'll be with you. We want to see what the students are going to do. And yes, we will be paying attention. We'll be following you next Monday. Maybe we'll talk about some of the results that you've been able to achieve afterwards. Okay, speaking now of the future of the youth when it comes to representation, what's the plan? Here we have the youth Senate, Kenya, and the youth governors, Kenya. What's the plan this year? What changes are you guys planning to make when it comes to 2019? What's the plan? What are the emotions that you guys are forwarding for this particular, even if it's the first semester? Is it what we call it? Trivastar of the year, the first trimester of the year. Yes, what's the plan? What do you guys plan to do? Because even Nigerians, their ministry of youth is actually led by someone who's 54 or not youth. And here in Kenya, we are facing the same issues. So what are some of the agendas you guys have for us? Abby? In Kenya, the general population, the most people in Kenya are below that 25 years of age. That's actually the majority. And what the youth need to realize is that as the majority we have that say, we can be able to raise out and we can be able to go for these opportunities. Most of us tend to realize that we have these opportunities at hand, but we don't go for them. This year for the youth governors, Kenya were reaching out more to the young people. We're trying to create more platforms for them to be able to enlighten them on what is expected for them and the opportunities that they have for this year. 2019 is still new. We still have to reap a lot throughout the year so that at the end of it, we'll bring to the table what we can see is so fruitful for all of us. All right, Jod. Well, for the youth in it Kenya, for the people for years back at home, those who don't know the youth in it Kenya, it's a national youth led organization. Actually, the third biggest organization after the national youth service and the national youth council, our president is on our Bogidion Ketel, the current nominated MP representing youths. And this year, our plan is based on four agendas. Number one of the agenda is employment. Number two, we have education. We have peace and we have good health for everyone. Whereby in employment, if I can only remind the viewers, the public procurement and disposal act, we are the people who love it so that it can be enacted. And it gives youths 30% tenders and contracts for the government tenders and contracts. And this year, what we want to do is pass another bill. Whereby we want to create more avenues for employment, not limited to, but including a scrapping of the retirement age from the current 60 to around 50 to 55. So according to statistics... Wait, you want to reduce it from 60 to 55? Goodness gracious me. Yeah, so that now, according to statistics, they say that if I cannot remember, but the sense is that Kenya people can live, they live to 63 to 67. So telling someone to retire at 60, you only have three more years to live, but you have to look at the graduates. So we want to pass that bill so that people can retire at 50 to 55 and give other youths more jobs, so that as for now, the Ministry of Planning has a big problem because there are a lot of retirees who are retiring from big positions where they haven't mentored their youth. So they are giving back a big vacuum and that is something that we want to avoid going into the future. We also want to ask the government to introduce job shifts in these small, small jobs so that many people can be employed. And many, many, including tenders and contracts should be increased from 30% to around 50%. The loans should be given without securities. And then on education, we are working on getting more money for bursaries, scholarships and other grants on good health. Last year, a lot of, in the dailies, there was a lot of reported cases of youths having a lot of cases of HIV and other health issues. That is something that we want to address going forward because we have a vision, Vision 2030, we have the Africa Agenda 2063 and we youth are the pillars of these agendas and we cannot achieve them when we are sick. So these are some of the things that we are looking forward and we are hoping that by the grace of God, we shall be able to achieve them. All right, Youth Senate Kenya, well said, John Wangai. However, John here has a dispute. He has a quarrel to pick with YGK and YSK. Let us know. No, I would like to challenge these guys. One, I take respect that they are my fellow youths and they are really aspiring in leadership. But I have a challenge. When previously I was here, I told you that for a nation to grow, there are three things that are very key to growing the economy. Number one, infrastructure. Number two, youth. And number three, accountability. Now, out of these, the only one agenda that have been outlined by the Youth Governors Kenya and the Youth Senate is only one agenda, that is the youth. I haven't heard about civic education to our youth. Well, the Youth Senate has talked about health. Come on. And it is all coming under one platform that it is the concern of the youth. Okay. Now, we need to hear about civic education. We need to hear about the government accounting to what they are utilizing, the loans that we are taking from China and everywhere, the monies that we are collecting from other Kenyans and really holding them hostage to the tax system. What are we seeing that money do? Where is the accountability? That is what we are really trying as a personal and a really free advocate. We are really fighting for accountability in our counties and in our governments. You found that some debtors are locked. You knock into offices, you're chased away. You go into websites, there is nothing to show. So that is one clarion call that I'd like to really push the youth. That we need, as much as we are trying to devolve development, we need to devolve accountability and we need to really have a very good system of civic education. And that is a challenge I'd like to give to IGK. That is a challenge I'd like to give to Youth Senate. That is a challenge I'd like to give to any youth group that is within the nation. We need to educate our people that there is a budget system. We need to educate the people that there is a public participation. We need to educate the people that they have to account for every development project that is done in their area. Some of the guys who come and tell them, do you know these musties supposed to cost 3 million? They tell you, what is a must? We even don't know what is coming here. Then how do you tell such a people that their government is working for them? Okay, good point, good point. All right, let's talk about, now that we want to discuss representation, I'd like to understand, in light of the 2022 succession politics that we are seeing, we are seeing shifting alliances, a whole different, it's almost unpredictable. I'd like to understand what preparations you guys have made when it comes to 2022. Are we going to see many of you represented in the ballot, even for presidential candidates? We've seen the youths all over Africa, not only in Kenya, complaining that even the youths who vie, because even in DRC Congo, the youngest candidate to vie was 37, and he never even made it to the final list. In Nigeria, they had the same issue. They don't have any young people who can make it to the top when it comes to presidential candidacy. And I'd just like to understand from the youth Senate and the youth governors of Kenya, what are you guys doing in preparation for 2022? We've seen Boni Khalwale in his problems, but I think we'll talk about him just after this, but I'd like to understand what you guys are doing when it comes to 2022. Are we going to see any of you there? Well, just to answer my brother here about youth Senate, youth Senate and youth governors, we are youth organizations, non-governmental youth organizations. Well, as much as I applaud the good work that you're doing, I think there is also a distinction between civil societies and the youth organizations. We are not a civil society. We cannot do works which are meant for the civil society. It's the work of the civil society to enlighten the citizens on what they should be doing. But well, that's a good point. We can look on that. On 2022, as youth Senate, what we are doing, we are trying to give many youths a platform so that they can be able to rise and also see themselves as potential readers. Well, they say that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And we have seen most of these big leaders starting from somewhere. And we have started to uplift some of these leaders, giving them posts in their rural areas so that they can nourish and become big people in the future. Again, also, we are trying, as youth Senate, to create an enabling environment by empowering the youth because right now, you see now there is that big gap between the rich and the poor, while Kenyan campaigns, you should have a lot of money. And that is something that most of the youth in this country doesn't have. So these are something that we are looking on so that we can have empowered youths now facing now the people have been government who have been rooting for a while. And I see that, I see there's a future for Kenya and in 2022, I see there will be many youths in the starting with the county assembly. Like we had a meeting with the members of parliament from Gambia and I was impressed because like 70% of the members of the county assemblies are youths. Yeah, yeah, they are youths. In the parliament, it's 50, 50%. The 50% are youths and now the other 50% are the old. So I think in 2022, these are things that we should be looking upon. And I urge all the young parliamentarians not to forsake their fellow youths to come and give back to the community to try to uplift someone and God will bless them. Perhaps you should also let us know some of these campaign alternatives because they issue the big challenge. They say that they can't participate is money. Like you said, they don't have any money. However, before you tell us these alternative methods of campaign, I'd like to understand from Abby. Let's talk a little bit. Do you have any response to what John said about you guys just thinking about youth and nothing else? By empowering the youth and getting to the youth, it's going to open eyes for other people so they get to realize the problems that they face. When we come and deal with the health for the youth, it's also going to be like an advantage to the rest of the people. So in a way, it's going to have covered the rest of the community. And about the youth governors, Kenya, youth governors, Kenya comprises of, we have the youth governor's president. We have the youth governor's secretariat. We have 47 youth governors. We have our deputy youth governors. We have constituency representatives and the world representatives. Being an unpartisan organization, we try to bring on board and partner with other youth groups in the different counties, in the different worlds and constituencies. We get to air our views in a way that we, informing the people about the problems that we have. And so coming to the 20 to 22 elections, we are going to, having opened the eyes of the young people who are outside there, they're going to know the kind of things that they want, the leaders want the seats are going to deal with them. So they're going to look at their manifestos and see whether these things are really catered for in their manifestos or not, yeah. Okay, Abi, I've not finished with you just yet. Or John, you want to respond? Okay. Now, one, let me, let me, let me, let me really put these across, Ushensi. That, that is a statement that really hit my mind when Honorable John here was talking about, yes, he's the senator, like he is. So he's, he's an honorable member. When he was talking about the youth and the politics, we have to appreciate it. And I'm really glad that I got to watch your show way ahead before we came here. And there was a, there was a Nigerian youth who was talking about nominations and endorsements. The same political system they have in Nigeria is the same political system we have here in Kenya. But here is the challenge. We are talking about political demographics. We are talking about political shapings of the youth. But rather, are we tackling the political system? Are we challenging our political system? We've seen, I'll give an example of like it here. We've seen the governor there come from an independent party. That means he's just a candidate with no party, with no endorsements, with no cash to, and he has defeated the system. What is your thoughts as we are trying to manoeuvre around the political demographics about challenging the system of endorsements, about really changing or challenging the system of bootleaking, and so you have to use that word because it's the reality of things. Whereby you just have to say yes, Kyongozhi. You send somewhere yes, Kyongozhi. And you don't have to really air your views. You just have to be a partisan of that party for you to be elected. When do the youth stand up and challenge this system? That is what we are really preaching around Likipia and all over the ground. That people need to see ideologies. People need to see development. People need to see the civic duties for them to elect a person. We don't have to, and I'll have to use these since it is all over. We don't have to be dracus. We don't have to be kumera kumera. We don't have to be nasa hao. We don't have to conform into that political agendalization of things. We need to really come up with a system whereby our youth, despite not having money, despite not having finances. Those alternative methods of campaigning. Can stand up and decide. Do you know what? Guys, I'm very fit for this. I can lead you into this. I can do a BCD. I'm very accountable in my jobs. I can stand up and fight for the seats. I'm glad that you brought up the Ushensi conversation. Now young leaders, you have been accused of being easily compromised because you are broke. So we'd like to understand from you guys, what are you guys doing when it comes to accountability and integrity? Are you guys bribeable? They can just bribe you guys. You guys can be, but after all, you're broke. You know, even the president once stood up and told us that we are even bigger thieves than them. So we'd like to understand from you. In terms of accountability, thank you so much for bringing that up, John. Nafanya, name me. Abi? Let me start with Abi. About the Ushensi thing, taking the little amount that we're given, we cannot be able to see the future. Like, now we have like 10 years down the line, what is my future going to be like? When I take this little amount, that's going to take me for today. What about tomorrow? What am I going to do? This model of actually arrogance for the young people and the people who are involved in this, because they need to get to realize that despite the fact that we're alive today, you have to be alive tomorrow. And you have to give back to your country tomorrow and the next year after then. So it's more of enlightening people that you need to find a better solution to things. You don't need to get like fast solutions that are going to come to an end before you get to the very end. You need to get a solution that's going to be long lasting and that's going to bring back to you and you're going to see its benefits later. So we can trust YGK. All right, let's talk to the senator. Well, being honest, they say that desperate moments force for desperate actions. Well, right now, most of the youths are not empowered. And when you're given something, honestly, you cannot refuse, because you're sleeping hungry. Let us face the situation as real as it is. That is why we as youths in it, we want to first empower the youth. Let them get something, get an income. And from there now, we can start teaching them and our concurrency, teaching them more of ethics and other good behaviors. But one thing that I would like the members of parliament to do is to write a bill on financial campaign funds. That one should be regulated. Very true. There's an unfair advantage, which is closing the door for a lot of youth. However, let me talk to you. There is this bill that's pending, which is yet to be set in parliament. I think on February 19th, as per Eid Eid, this is the agenda bill. And I'd like to understand from you, people have postponed these things from time immemorial. And it's just about the same time Nigeria will be having its elections. So I don't know where their attention will be during that particular time. But I'd like to understand from you, what do you think? Are we finally going to put this thing to rest? Not exactly. We don't need to give people like free opportunities every now and then. Sometimes we need to let people to go for the opportunities and they need to struggle for them. So giving them a time, it's going to make the coming generation to lose that energy that they could channel it and go for these opportunities themselves. So getting an extra position or something, it's not going to be a lasting solution. And plus, these funds that we will use to get these people that we'll use to make this bill successful could have been used to raise the other parts of the infrastructure, other stuff that could have been used to develop our country. So it's actually more of priorities. I don't think that was like the best thing to go for. Wow, OK, John, let's hear your response. I didn't expect that, Abidu. OK, let me hear your response, John. No, due to my banners, I wouldn't really kneel down to her. But she really spoke like the queen. Why? She really stated things as they are. There's one thing I usually like to put across. We don't have to endorse women to empower them. We need to raise challenges to them so that they can take on the challenges and become conquerors. We don't need to free ride them into positions. Right now, we are struggling with a very, very big recurrent expenditure from both our counties to our national government. We've had people being nominated every now and then into seats. They are not really capable of doing the same. Now, when we talk about the gender bill, we are supposed to address issues about youths but not rather issues about women. Because one thing, if you empower women, you empower them through challenges. If you empower men, you empower them through challenges. Now, when we talk about the youth, we are supposed to discuss about representation of the youth. But rather not about representation of the women. We have women in our parliaments. We have women in our departments. We have women even in our local areas. Those people are empowered. We have even more women who are learned. Those are the people to mentor other women. So for you, this bill is neither here nor there. It's not a matter of urgency. As I usually state, it is just a political gimmick. OK, John, John, John, John. I cannot conclude this segment without hearing what you have to say. I know you have a comeback. There you have sat in that seat, in that position. I know you have some response. So, I can't say. Yes, on the wage bill, you see, now the law is the law. And the constitution states that two-dance gender, there should be no more than a party of two-dance gender in any of the houses or any of the government appraise. Well, the bill after the parliament failed to pass due to quorum hitches, I and Stephen will petition Maragha to dissolve the parliament. And now after two weeks, we went back to him and asked him, Maragha, why have you not dissolved parliament? He loved us and told us that I just nullified the election. So we cannot go back to another election because, immediately, they dissolved parliament. We are going back to another election. Oh, no. But now the constitution is a constitution. It must be followed. And again, we have seen the members who have been nominated. The women who have been nominated. They have come back to be superheroes, super women. We have seen them. We have seen even back in Likipia, the women rep who is giving people now headaches here, Catherine, she was an nominated MCA. Now she is a women rep, a very strong person in this country. I think that's the best way to empower women, giving them a chance to serve. And that is how now we will be able to achieve vision 2030 and agenda 2063 of Africa, bringing all the parties together. So that no party should feel is discriminated. Yes. Yeah, something like that. So nobody is left out, including their fifth for the disabled persons. However, you guys, I think it's about time we conclude this segment. So I just need a few parting shots real quick. Then we can go. John? Number one, I'd like to challenge Mr. Angai before I finish. Allow me just 10 seconds. When you talk about freeriding women. It's not freeriding. It is freeriding. Ask me why? Ask me why? It is a very controversial statement, but very right. We are just freeriding them. You can't just tell me that you're giving a woman without a role to go into assembly and legislate. In fact, if we need to do the two thirds, we should really tell these women, you need to come to the ground, you need to access the youths, you need to access the people, vie for the seeds. And that is what I told you about challenging the political system. It is not about freeriding people. We need to change our systems indefinitely. All right, all right, okay, okay. Now, on the other hand, I would like to really thank the Likipia counterparts. And I would really like to thank the Likipia people. We've really been on ground. We are really listening to people and people are calling out accountability. People are calling out civic duties and civic education. I would also like to urge all the YGK members and the youth senate, please do not disembark your roles as civic educators. Anytime you're a leader, you're a civic educator and you have a civic duty to empower your people. That is the number one rule that you should have as a leader because why are you leading people? All right, okay. Now, on the second note, I would like to point out that in Likipia, we are having a proposal whereby we have an equitable and equitability bill. Whereby we are really challenging the county to reach out to devolution and distribution of resources to the sublocations and ensure that any sublocation in each year gets to benefit from the annual budget. As we are moving forward to that, I really think that we'll engage the people and also the youth senate is invited to come and learn about the same. As we go forward, let us really maintain peace and be really good youth advocates. Thank you. Thank you very much, George. Abhi, quickly, quickly. As the YGK, the youth senate and all other youth groups, it's just a reminder that it's about time we leave the urban areas because most of the people have not generated more energy to the urban area and they leave their rural areas for everyone to be brought on board and to share their ideas. Great. Okay, for me, it's just according to what the readers, let's stop more of politicking, let's go to 2022 as far as fast work and deliver our manifestos and make this Kenya a better place for us. Thank you. All right, thank you so much. And thank you so much, Joe, for reiterating to John that the law is the law. There's no free ride doing everything there. All right. Okay, anyway, you've been watching youth and politics. Make sure you do stay tuned for Man Crush Monday. I'm seeing a couple of your posts on Facebook. 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