myNetwork had a chat with some of the new and young faces in Kenya’s
political arena, and sought to establish how they managed to shake off
stiff competition and most importantly, what those who voted for them
can expect from them. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP
On August 8 this year, Kenyans participated in the general
election, the second under the new constitution. In many counties, new
leaders were elected, rendering the old ones jobless.
Of
these fresh faces, a number of them are young people, the youngest
among them a Member of Parliament and Senator, at only 23 and 24 years
respectively.
myNetwork had a chat with some of these
new and young faces in Kenya’s political arena, and sought to establish
how they managed to shake off stiff competition from more experienced
opponents and win, and most importantly, what those who voted for them
can expect from them.
Name: Grace Sundukwa
Age: 24 years
Position: Member of County Assembly (MCA), Sitikho ward, Webuye West Constituency, Bungoma County.
In
a past interview with myNetwork, you mentioned that you were a student
at Masinde Muliro University. How did the institution prepare you for
this position?
I studied education and
graduated in 2015. The discipline gives knowledge and skills on how to
live in a society and bring about socioeconomic changes. The course
opened my eyes to the many possibilities, and limitations, in my
society. It was while at university that I decided to run for MCA,
Sitikho Ward.
How did your family and close friends respond to your interest in running for political office?
The
first people I mentioned my interests to were my sister and best
friend. They thought that I was joking and discouraged me, citing the
challenges that women in politics face, such as gender, social and
cultural stereotypes. When they realised that I was serious however,
they became supportive.
I have received unmeasurable
support from my family, friends and Sitikho Ward residents. Through
their support, I was able to raise Sh200, 000 for my campaign. I spent
this amount mainly for transport from village to village, where I sold
my agenda. Instead of printing campaign posters, I offered part of the
money to various churches in my ward.
I faced many
challenges as well. One was convincing my conservative Bukusu people
that there was nothing wrong with being led by a young unmarried woman.
Money was another big challenge because I didn’t have much, save for
what I fundraised and the little savings from my teaching job at Webuye
DEB Secondary School. I also had to deal with contemptuous remarks from
some of the constituents and competitors.
What do you think Sitikho Ward voted for you?
One,
people in my community were tired of the leadership that had been there
for decades, thanks to the empty promises they kept being fed.
Secondly,
my competitors underrated and wrote me off. While I focused on an
issue-based campaigns, they sold themselves. They also misread the mood
of the people. During the nominations, there were six aspirants. I
garnered 1,603 while my closest competitor got 527 votes.
What is the dominating concern of the youth in your ward?
Lack
of jobs; most are unemployed. I intend to mentor and equip the youth,
and others, for self-employment because there aren’t enough jobs for all
of them. I also intend to agitate for better health services, provision
of clean water and a developed road infrastructure.
What is your advice to people who still hold the notion that older people make better leaders?
Age
is just a number. What determines the kind of leadership one offers is
their personality and background. The youth are energetic, dynamic and
visionary, so they should not be trivialised.
You are young, how do you intend to balance service to the people and a social life?
I
am a good time manager and have good planning skills. I believe that I
won’t have to compromise one for another, but if I have to, the
interests of my people will come first. I am grateful that they believed
in me, and pledge to deliver on my promises.
Simon Muturi, 24
MCA, Muruguru-Gatitu Ward, Nyeri County
Muturi
is most recognisable for having cycled his way to victory, using a
bicycle lent to him by a compassionate resident in his ward, in a
campaign characterised by an unprecedented money-splashing spree by
politicians. The Karatina University graduate of business management
defeated the incumbent, Mwangi Kibuu, who was also the Leader of
Majority in the Nyeri County Assembly. He says he draws political
inspiration from Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri, who also rose to power
as a young person. He insists that modesty will be evident in his
leadership in the next five years.
In what specific ways will the lives of the youth of your ward and Nyeri County change in your five years of leadership?
I
recently spoke with our governor, who promised to disburse Sh2 million
to the ward to revive polytechnics in our ward that have been dormant
for many years. We will equip them and hire teachers to impart different
practical skills to our youth.
Through my advocacy, a
Chinese shoe-manufacturing company has agreed to set base in the ward
and in turn provide employment for our youth.
We will
also push the county government to award 30 per cent of tenders to
special interest groups, including the youth, as stipulated in the
Access to Government Procurement provision.
We will also lobby for more youths to be given positions within the county government structure.
When
I met the president earlier this month, I asked him to build a dam in
our ward to enable our youth to practice farming through irrigation. Out
of the 30 MCAs that were elected on August 8 in the entire county, 18
of them are below 35 years. I am confident that this youthful look of
the county assembly will bring forth fresh ideas for development in the
county.
MCAs have often been accused of
derailing development in their counties when denied kickbacks. How
different will your leadership be?
It is
unfortunate that Nyeri County MCAs were blackmailing the late former
governor, Nderitu Gachagua, with some demanding money to pass crucial
bills and budgets. Holding the governor at ransom crippled development
efforts in the county. This is about to change. The incoming crop of
leaders has been warned against engaging in selfish wars.
The
county executive and the legislature have agreed to cooperate for the
sake of development in Nyeri. The governor has personally declared his
willingness to work closely with the county assembly.
Based on your experience as a candidate, what would you tell other young aspiring political leaders?
Campaigning
is not easy, that I can tell you. Especially when running against
people with lots of money. When I started my door-to-door campaign early
this year, I weighed 68kg, now I weigh 54kg. I would go without food
for a day. Sometimes I faced hostility - Some people jeered and insulted
me.
Others said I had gone mad, and told me off,
saying that the seat was for people with money, which I did not have. I
had to confront all these challenges with self-determination and focus.
It took time to convince people that I had their best interest at heart,
and my hard work and patience ultimately paid off.
Mercy Wanjiku Gakuya
MP, Kasarani
Briefly narrate your journey up until where you stand…
My
leadership began as a student at the University of Nairobi where I was
the chairlady of the Christian Union. After graduating with a Bachelor’s
of Science, I studied for a Master’s degree in Leadership and
Governance at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. I
was involved in active politics as a National Youth Secretary at the
Democratic Party of Kenya.
I have also been a board
member of the International Young Democratic Union representing Africa,
where I facilitated youth training on democracy and the rule of law. I
am also an active member of the Centre for Multi-Party Democracy.
You were sworn into office this week. What are the five key things that you intend to do once in office?
In
the first 100 days of my administration, I will open offices in our
five wards to localise services to the people - 11 per cent of my
constituents do not have access to primary and secondary education. I
will lobby for hiring of more teachers because as a metropolitan
constituency, our learner to teacher ratio is currently unfavourable.
I
will also push the county government to provide water, bearing in mind
that 70 per cent of the constituents depend on water from vendors. I
will also seek to reorganise our transport system and markets, which
currently have no designated bus stops and market places. I will also
engage security agencies within Kasarani to reinforce security in our
area. We will also strengthen the Nyumba-Kumi initiative to improve
security.
Unemployment is the biggest challenges among Kenyan youth. Do you have specific support programmes for your young constituents?
The
youth constitute 63 per cent of the total population in Kasarani. I
will initiate an elaborate public-private sector partnership to provide
apprenticeship to students from our constituency.
I
will rally the national and county governments, NGOs and other aid
agencies to provide funds for our Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs). I
will also empower our youth by encouraging and promoting active
participation in social, economic and political discourses in the
constituency. I will also organise mentorship programmes in our schools.
I will also set up an ICT department within the constituency to enable
the youth take up jobs online.
No Kasarani MP has defended the seat in over 25 years. How do you plan to retain your seat?
The
downfall of my predecessors has been due to gross incompetence. While
the CDF kitty was supposed to benefit all constituents, mismanagement
and utter waste of the funds has been the story of Kasarani Constituency
for years. I intend to work with men and women of integrity in the
delivery of services to the people, and to ensure that every coin from
the national and county government is put to the right use. My
administration is open for scrutiny by all.
John Paul, 23
MP, Igembe South
MP, Igembe South
When
John Paul entered the race for the Igembe South parliamentary seat,
many wrote him off. The Third Year Education student of Mount Kenya
University had neither money to campaign with, nor a change of clothes. A
trying journey that began in 2013 as a Form Three student at Kirindini
Day Secondary School finally paid off on August 8 when, to the
astonishment of many, he won the seat by emphatically beating his
opponents, to become the country’s youngest ever MP at just 23 years.
What major challenges did you face in your campaign?
There
was a lot of intimidation from seasoned politicians in the constituency
and county. At times I was barred from addressing gatherings especially
in fundraisers for not contributing. As an independent candidate, I had
to finance my campaign, yet I had no money. I therefore campaigned on
foot, with no banners, but with the support of a handful of friends. I
learnt that winning an election is not about how much money you splash,
but about being able to convince the people to believe in your genuine
dream of fostering development. Understanding the needs of your
constituents and having an efficient plan of solving these challenges is
necessary.
What do you intend to do in your first few days in office?
Many
schools in Igembe South have withheld certificates for their former
students for fees arrears. I will resolve these stalemates with the
institutions so that the certificates are released, to enable these
youths move ahead with their lives. I will also develop support
programmes for orphans and other vulnerable people in my constituency.
I
also intend to support women and youth groups by putting up greenhouses
for them to enable them earn a living. I will also seek licenses for
traders in the cottage industry and boda boda riders, and encourage them
to embrace the concept of table-banking for their self-support.
How do you plan to juggle your studies with your leadership roles?
My
academic schedule is a bit flexible since I am a part-time student. I
have constituents to serve, parliament sessions to attend, a degree to
finish and a social life, all which require sacrifice to accomplish. I,
however, signed up for the job with the full understanding of its
demanding nature, and therefore plan to serve the people of Igembe South
in the best possible way.
What legacy do you want to leave behind when you exit the political stage?
I
don’t want to carry just the tag of the youngest ever MP, but also the
best performing parliamentarian in the history of Kenya. I want to be
remembered more for my development record. I also want to demystify the
notions that one can only be elected if they have money to bribe voters
with, are a certain age or identify with this or that political party.
Anyone is eligible to lead as long as one has integrity and is competent
to do the job.
Do you have any youth-oriented motions that you intend to introduce to parliament?
It
saddens me to see a country so divided along tribal lines. I hope to
introduce a bill that will provide for the development of a curriculum
that will emphasise on the unity of Kenyans so that learners grow
appreciating the importance of oneness.
Stephen Sang, 32
Governor, Nandi County
At
32, Sang is the youngest governor in Kenya’s history. He beat veteran
politicians such as Henry Kosgey and the then governor, Cleophas Lagat,
to become the county’s second governor.
The law
graduate from the University of Nairobi was also the youngest senator in
the country’s history when he was elected to the Senate to represent
Nandi County at only 28 years.
An eloquent debater,
Sang was voted by his senate colleagues to the House Speaker’s Panel. He
sponsored a number of bills in the house, one of which became law,
before it was quashed by the constitutional court.
Sang
has served as an executive director at the Rift Valley Development
Trust, and was the vice-chairperson of the Senate Committee for Legal
Affairs and Human Rights.
Aaron Cheruiyot, 33
Senator, Kericho County
Cheruiyot
first entered the national political stage when he beat veteran
politicians Franklin Bett and Magerer Langat to win the Kericho
senatorial by-election in March 2016. This came after the county’s then
senator, Charles Keter, was appointed to the Cabinet as the Cabinet
Secretary for Energy and Petroleum.
Born in 1986, Cheruiyot garnered more than 260,000 votes in the August 8 General Elections to retain his seat.
The
young senator holds a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Language and
Literary Studies from Moi University, where he was an active student
leader.
He is described by his former classmates as firm and daring in causes he believes in.
Nandi
County elected the highest number of young people in the August 8
elections, with the county senator Kiprotich Cherargey only 30 years,
while Kilibwoni Ward MCA Cynthia Suge, 24, is the country’s youngest
ward representative.
No comments :
Post a Comment