The Youth Cafe has launched a comprehensive Youth Audit of the 2022 General Elections features the electoral environment, legal frameworks, Key institutions for youth political participation in elections, youth issues in elections, recommendations, and their implications in deepening democracy. The launch of the report took place in Nairobi on 7 March, During the People’s Dialogue Festival 2024 and as a signature Partners for Democracy Day event.
The Youth Cafe;s continued involvement in the Peoples Dialogue Festival (PDF) 2024, co-organized by Center for Multimedia Democracy Kenya, is not merely an event participation but a strategic move in realizing our mission to reimagine civil society.
In Kenya, the role of civil society is increasingly pivotal to counter the government populist narratives. Under its Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance pillar of work, The Youth Cafe is working to Support and Amplify Youth in Governance and democratic establishments; Support Youth Freedom of Expression; and Promote a culture of youth political participation.
By actively participating in the Partners for Democracy 2024, we not only contribute to the broader conversation on democratic development but also showcase our dedication to The Youth Cafe’s mission.
P4D 2024 presented an opportunity to advance our strategic goals of fostering inclusive dialogue and constructive public engagement. Our continued involvement in the P4D aligns with one of The Youth Cafe’s core mission of generating open civic spaces through collaborative initiatives that yield tangible institutional and citizen-level impacts.
Evidence shows a pattern of not just relatively lower youth participation, engagement and involvement in electoral and governance processes but also a glaring downward trajectory at both levels of governance.
This risks youth interests not being represented and threatens Kenya’s democratic governance given that the future is said to belong to the youth. The marginalization of the youth threatens to perpetuate a vicious cycle whereby youth tune out, leaders continue deferring young people’s needs and priorities risking even further disenfranchisement. Reversing these trends requires breaking this cycle and dedicating intentional effort to engage the young people at their level.
There is therefore a need to establish spaces that facilitate engagement, involvement and participation of the youth. These spaces will contribute in seeking to unravel the barriers to youth participation while at the same time establishing potential actionable remedies. We designed an event that took place at the People’s Dialogue Festival as part of our contribution towards re-writing this wrong. Our co-created 120 minute session targeted the youth with an aim of having an intergenerational conversation. The dialogue centered around breaking this cycle and ensuring meaningful participation of youth in the electoral and governance processes.
*For more information, please contact Willice Onyango (willice@theyouthcafe.com).