During the Nanenane anti-government protests on August 8, 2024, a group of young people protested with flags along Accra Road in Nairobi. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]
A new report finds that the majority of young people are unaffiliated with any political party.
This suggests that young people are not interested in joining political parties as a means of democratic political activism.
Representation or participation.
The survey, released by grassroots social movement organisation Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi and the Civic Voices Initiative, was conducted between March and May 2024 among a total of 1,535 respondents aged between 18 and 35 years old in Mombasa (519), Kisumu (507) and Nairobi (509).
According to the survey, 981 of the 1,535 young people surveyed did not belong to any political party.
“In terms of age groups, the 18-25 age group has the highest number of people not interested in being associated with a political party,” the report said.
“During the data collection phase, major political parties had made logistical arrangements to mobilise for party nominations. We asked respondents whether they would take part in such activities. Most of the youth said they would not. However, they also mentioned that they planned to register without their consent. Those who had voted before said that in the last election, their details were listed as members of another political party, which created security issues for some people in the hotspot areas,” the report said.
Another reason young people are reluctant to join political parties is because they believe they mainly serve the interests of a small minority of people who want seats in parliament, so they are often only active during elections and their chapters are closed at other times.
“In Jombu County in Mombasa, youths reported visiting party offices seeking support in securing the Kazi Mutani job but found most offices closed,” the report said.
Abdul Noormohamed, director of the Civic Voices Initiative, said the project recognised a general problem of low youth engagement in civic and political life, a trend seen across Africa.
“Historical instances of increased youth engagement, such as the protests in Sudan that led to the removal of President Omar Bashir, the #EndSARS demonstrations in Nigeria and the #FeesMustFall movement in South Africa, have been sporadic and short-lived,” he said.
Noormohamed said that while these events had a significant impact, they did not translate into sustained youth participation in the subsequent electoral processes in their countries. However, the protests in Kenya in June marked a turning point in unprecedented youth mobilization sparked by concerns over the economic impact of the 2024 Finance Bill.
“The key question now is whether the recent surge in participation will continue beyond 2027, similar to patterns seen elsewhere. Our findings highlight young people’s sentiments regarding civic participation and underscore the urgent need to foster sustained engagement. Given that the youth population constitutes a significant portion of the population, their limited participation has significant implications for the future of Kenya’s democracy,” he said.
The survey found that at least 64.4% of young people who belong to a political party feel that their political parties do not provide enough support or encouragement for them to participate in civic activities and political debate.
Stay up to date: Subscribe to our newsletter
Additionally, 19% reported that facilitation occurred infrequently, 9.3% reported that facilitation occurred frequently, and only 7.3% reported that facilitation occurred very frequently.
The survey also asked young people what activities they engage in apart from voting in elections. The majority (78.2%) said they do not participate in any other activities apart from voting, while 21.8% said they participate in other political activities.
Some of the youth said they had participated in Maandamano (protests). Some were involved in voter mobilization. Others said politics offers employment opportunities as agents or security guards for leaders who aspire to be politicians. Some youth said they have earned money by running print and social media campaigns for people aspiring to political office.
The report further noted that young people are economically powerless and when invited to public civic forums, they ask if they will receive some money.
“In all three counties, young people say money is a motivator for them to get involved and participate in civic and political life,” the report states.
“When you’re invited to a conference, the first question they ask is ‘kuna kakitu?’ which literally translates to ‘Do you have anything for us?’ and means some kind of payment or travel reimbursement.”
“This means that youth participation is often driven by financial incentives rather than clear objectives,” the report said.