Why our teenagers should join political parties

Youth during the past Gen-Z protest in Kitengela. [File, Standard]

In South Africa, 14-year-olds can join the ANC Youth League. In the United Kingdom, teenagers can become members of political parties long before they finish high school. In Kenya, however, no one can join a political party until they turn 18, by which time many have already learned to distrust politics.

The Political Parties Act of 2011 limits party membership to citizens aged 18 and above. While this aligns with the voting age, it overlooks a fundamental truth: political learning begins long before political participation. By locking out teenagers, Kenya denies them a chance to engage with national politics at the very stage when they are forming their civic identities.