Young leaders should seek leadership with a valid agenda

With less than a year to the General Elections young people have begun seeking a political office. I do not have a problem with their aspiration for leadership, but with their vague agenda of replacing the older representatives, without providing alternative solutions to the challenges facing the country.

They only talk about "it's our time" but fail to define what it means. They appear not to have any concrete agenda to rally voters to consider them as their representatives nationally or at county levels. The Kenyan economy seems to be stagnating. Corruption is on the rise. Living standards are going down. Unemployment is going up. The education system needs revamping. The aspiring young leaders should be able to give a different formula and provide answers to these challenges rather than only talking about it being their time.

They should give suggestions on how best they think The Constitution can be implemented. Tribalism is a major problem. Do the prospective young leaders have a solution for this? There are difficulties facing the implementation of devolution. What do young people suggest to enable the process to run smoothly?

Looking at the current young leaders, it is a shame that after getting a chance to represent the youth, some of them have switched off and gone to sleep. Some of the laziest members of both The Senate and The National Assembly are young leaders. A good number of them have gone a full year without uttering a word inside The House or in committees. Yet they are purportedly representing a vibrant group called the youth.

 Those who make contributions do not seem to have an agenda at all, only adding to what their senior colleagues have said. They have not taken any motions or bills for debate yet their term is almost over. This failure is because the nominated or elected young leaders lack an agenda.

They should learn from the old or mature leaders what it means to represent the common man. Aspiring young leaders should get their act together and develop a solid agenda instead of riding on vague aspirations.