Can we count on the youthful MPs-elect to heal our country?

The just concluded August 8^th General election has left part of the country limping. The ugly underbelly of our collective mistrust of other communities was once again exposed as has been the case every election year.

Raila Odinga disputed IEBC’s announcement that Uhuru Kenyatta was the winner and has since promised to challenge the results at the Supreme Court thereby quelling what possibly would have been a showdown between the police and his supporters; the call to avoid work having set the stage.

Nonetheless, the country remains fractured and not even the Supreme Court ruling will mend that; whichever way the ruling goes.

Presidential elections in Kenya have long been established as the signal to begin one’s turn to eat. This is perhaps why it’s very easily a tribal affair.

Considering other levels of elective positions do not draw such bile; is there something those elected-particularly to the National Assembly can do to address these deep seated issues? Can we look to the youth for healing where the older MPs have failed?

Babu Owino

If the youth and youthful MPs are to help bring sobriety in our country then those elected in this 12^th Parliament are best suited for this job.

Take Babu Owino for instance. The MP elect for Embakasi East despite being a diehard NASA supporter can very easily help in healing the country. Regardless of your biases, this young man gets his peers and the younger generation quite excited with his unnecessary vocabulary.

Babu is credited for having coined the word, Tibim which has gained significant traction country-wide although he insists it’s a Greek word. His theatrics have endeared him to his peers.

In his student leadership days he fought for the student’s rights regardless of their ancestral home. He should therefore continue speaking for the youth across the country and not just NASA.

Will he realize this as he heads to Parliament and change his radical stand?

Jaguar

Celebrated Musician Charles Njagua Kanyi alias, Jaguar will also be representing Starehe Constituency in the 12^th Parliament. After singing about vigeugeu we can hope as an MP he will set an example and not betray the confidence the great people of Starehe have in him.

Jaguar’s song are an anthem. Both NASA and Jubilee fans sing to his songs like their lives depend on it. His appeal to the youth is without a question and perhaps that’s why in future we might need more celebrities in the August House if only to have people with a wider appeal outside of their immediate ethnic circles.

Will Jaguar stand to be counted when the youth seek his voice or will he tow the party line?

KJ

The youthful John Kiarie better known ask KJ will be representing the great people of Dagoretti South. KJ was one of the first few voices to openly expose the ills of the government of the day through their satirical show Redykyulass that won the hearts of Kenyans of all ages.

Whether Redykyulass achieved its goal beyond making Kenyans laugh is a different story but no one can doubt the show united all Kenyans-including the villain who was being exposed.

Will KJ demonstrate this brilliance in the 12^th Parliament and champion youth issues without thinking too much about voting along party lines?

Ndindi Nyoro

Also worth noting is majority of young people making their maiden entry into Parliament are very wealthy business people.

Employment being one of the biggest thorns on the flesh of our youth perhaps it’s about time they help draft laws that can help government create better environment for startups seeing as they can leverage on their experiences as entrepreneurs.

Incoming Kiharu MP Ndidi Nyoro at 32 years, is already a billionaire with interests in Telecoms, constructions among other businesses.

Paul Mwirigi

The idea that the youth are a violent group at the disposal of tribal chiefs is first coming to an end even as the youth fight for their space in leadership.

Perhaps nothing asserts that statement more than the Mount Kenya University student who won the parliamentary seat for Igembe South without relying on any political party.

John Paul Mwirigi at 23, makes history as possibly the youngest MP ever to be elected in Kenyan history.

With these number of promising youthful MP-elects we can remain hopeful that the 12^th Parliament will have youthful people the youth can depend on to make better laws on their behalf.

 

Posted by Mzalendo Editor on Aug. 17, 2017

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