Vijana Twaweza! Inuka Tujimudu – South Rift Youth
November 9, 2021
Vijana Twaweza! Inuka Tujimudu
Conference Communique
The Vijana Twaweza! Youth Conference has been held on 8th and 9th November 2021 here at ACK Grace Conference Center, Kericho, bringing together more than 100 Youth Leaders drawn from Baringo, Bomet, Kericho, Nakuru, Narok and Samburu counties. The Conference was guided by the theme “Wholesome Youth for a Wholesome Society (1 Timothy 4: 12)”
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
The Youth Leaders recognized that youthhood is the stage in life that determines not only the future of the individual but the entire nation. Indeed, a prosperous nation is the nation that Educates, Equips, Emboldens, Empowers, Elevates and Engages its youth. Kenya must therefore turn away from the current culture of manipulating, using and killing its youth.
1. Secure Youth Engagement
We in this Vijana Twaweza! Youth Conference recognize that over the decades, the youth have been excluded from political and governance structures, and have not contributed to decision making. Coupled with weak economic capacities, the youth have not effectively played their role in safeguarding the current and future of our nation. We have therefore committed ourselves to reverse this trend by taking our position and ensuring effective youth engagement across the country.
2. Register as Voters
The first step in this process of securing effective youth engagement is by ensuring that we and our fellow youths are in a position to participate in electoral and governance processes by registering as voters. Since the youth are more than 70% of the population, we have the power to shape and influence the persons who will be elected into office next year. We reject and condemn the negative sentiments of those who are saying that the election results will be determined by the deep state. When we as youth will register and vote, we will determine our future. We now call upon the government to release adequate funding to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to enable them devolve voter registration to the polling station level. On our part, we are committed to mobilizing our fellow youths to register and vote in the next General Elections.
3. Youth, Assume Leadership Positions
We in this Vijana Twaweza! Youth Conference recognize that prosperity will come to our nation when youth are effectively and adequately engaged in governance and decision making. However, the opportunities to do so will not come on a silver platter, but will have to be acquired.
For this reason, we have committed to encourage and support the youths who have integrity, good morals and political ambitions to contest in the coming General Elections. We will also seek to take over decision making positions in political parties so that we transform laws, policies and budgets at national and county levels to benefit the entire nation. A key focus for us will be voting for persons who have clear plans and strategies to fight corruption.
4. County Manifestos
To enable the youth vet aspirants and identify those they will support in the General Elections, we in this Vijana Twaweza! Youth Conference have commenced a process of developing Youth Manifestos. Each Youth Manifesto identifies challenges that face the youth, and recommends viable interventions that can be adopted to transform the situation. It is our commitment to organize our fellow youths at group, village, ward, constituency and county levels to develop localized manifestos. The youth will then present those manifestos to all aspirants and only support those who have clear strategies on how to implement them. We will no longer wait for handouts and empty promises from politicians.
During this Vijana Twaweza! Youth Conference, we have developed manifestos for each county, of which we highlight the following goals and aspirations of the youth:
(a) Baringo County
- Election of youth leaders in every ward, and ensure representation of youth in public participation forums
- Introduction of irrigation coupled with provision of water and pasture during dry seasons to prevent conflicts
- Enhancement of drug and substance abuse education and rehabilitation
- Strategies to overcome Gender Based Violence especially Female Genital Mutilation and early marriages
- Economic empowerment of the youth with loans, grants, and awarding of tenders
(b) Bomet County
- Community education and mobilization to eradicate Gender Based Violence
- Infrastructural development especially roads and provision of clean water
- Public sensitization on drug and substance abuse
- Proper representation of the youth
- Economic empowerment of the youth through job opportunities and more funds
(c) Kericho County
- Funding for youth projects and groups
- Exemption of young business persons from taxation
- Fight against corruption and equal distribution of resources within the county
- All sub counties to be included in county jobs
- Scholarships for the needy
(d) Nakuru County
- County Youth Policy be developed and implemented
- Youth in all sub counties be involved in decision making
- Roundtable conferences to address state of the youth
- Fulfillment of the 30% tender allocations to the youth
- Adequate funding for Sexual and Gender Based Violence programmes
(e) Narok County
- Funds allocation for youth programmes and empowerment opportunities
- Domestication and implementation of the National Youth Policy
- Increase of funding for bursaries
- Ensure schools are well equipped and have adequate teachers
- Allocate funds for sexual and reproductive health information and services
(f) Samburu County
- Creation of more employment opportunities for the youth
- Provision of loans and grants to support the youth to run income generating projects
- Improvement of educational facilities
- Youth to given leadership positions in national and county governments
- Promotion of agriculture and agripreneurship
5. Vijana Twaweza! – Bible Imetupea Leadership
We in this Vijana Twaweza! encourage and inspire our fellow youths to rise up and grab the leadership opportunities available to us. In the Bible, we learn that God expects the youth to be strong and to fight and overcome the evils of our times. We can only do this effectively when we assume leadership and decision making positions. Let us be inspired by the word of God recorded in 1 John 2: 14
I write to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one
Mayouth wenzetu, twendeni kwa uwanja tunyakue decision making positions. Tujiamini, na tusiwache wengine watudharau. If we Educate, Equip, Embolden, Empower and Elevate ourselves, we will Effectively Engage with our elders and transform our lives and future.
Conclusion
We conclude by reminding ourselves and our fellow youth that each of us has a role to play in the betterment of our nation, just as we declare in our National Anthem:
Let one and all arise, with hearts both strong and true; Service be our earnest endeavour; And our homeland of Kenya, Heritage of Splendour, Firm may we stand to defend
May God bless and empower all the youth in our nation to take their position in the nation.
Signed on this 9th day of November 2021 at ACK Grace Guest House, Kericho.
Dan Kiplimo
Youth Representative, NCCK South Rift Region
David Njuguna
Regional Manager, NCCK South Rift Region
