Let us be crystal clear. We are no longer asking for change. We are saying enough is enough. A youth-led political revolution is not just possible; it is inevitable and necessary. Kenya has more than 16 million youth aged between 18 and 35.
If half of us register and commit to vote, we can alter the course of the country’s history. We must dismantle the existing rot by overhauling the current elite-led, unstable, rent-seeking regime structures, and restructure the social contract to form a people-centered republic in 2027.
It is not delirious to imagine that only 8 million need to vote to elect a millennial president. Imagine a new Parliament with more youthful leaders who are in touch with reality. This can be replicated in county governments, county assemblies, and other levels of governance.
Look around the world. In 2023, Montenegro elected a 36-year-old Jakov Milatovic as president, ending Milo Djukanovic’s 30 years of old guard politics. In Chile, 35-year-old Gabriel Boric defeated José Antonio Kas in 2021 with a 55 per cent majority.
Last year, Simon Harris became Ireland’s Prime Minister at the age of 37. Further, Austria elected Sebastian Kurz as the Chancellor in 2017 when he was 31. Sanna Marin, aged 34, became Finland’s Prime Minister in 2019. Taavi Rõivas was 34 when he became Estonia’s Prime Minister in 2014. Don’t tell us we are the leaders of tomorrow.
The current political matrix is configured to retain Kenya in a state of conservative stagnation. Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, William Ruto, and Martha Karua are all birds of a feather.
They belong to an era that cannot offer new solutions to the old problems they created or helped create. Before you call this ageism, consider this: Rigathi and Kalonzo deputised Ruto and Kibaki, respectively, and Karua and Matiang’i held powerful ministerial portfolios.
If you elect any of them, it is just the same lies repackaged under different party symbols. Only former Supreme Court Chief Justice David Maraga has not tasted power outside the Judiciary. It is time for fresh ideas to end recycled leadership.
In reimagining the republic, we must choose the best course forward. One that dismantles the rot in society while preserving the perpetuity of the state. Today, the youth are protesting and rightfully so, but without a concrete plan to take power.
The hope is that once Ruto is removed from power, everything will fall in place, almost like magic. That is planning to fail. I strongly propose that the youth form a new political party, completely unaffiliated with the existing political organisations.
A clean break from the past. This is the most feasible revolution. A bloodless revolution. Without a political party, there is no plan. Without a plan, there is no takeover. Without a complete takeover, the fruits of any revolution will be stolen again by the same failed leaders who destroyed our country.
So, what’s the way forward?
What next after the young generation has taken over power? How do we resolve the challenges of governance? To address these critical concerns, I propose simple but radical and urgent reforms.
The first order of business is to reform the republic itself. We must hold a referendum to constitutionally establish a parliamentary system.
This will enable us to hire and fire a Prime Minister and his or her Cabinet whenever the government fails. This system requires high standards and ethics in Parliament. This leads to the second order of business.
Through the same referendum, we must introduce mid-term elections to give shorter contracts to Members of Parliament and Members of County Assemblies. This second reform will end political impunity as we have seen in the current Parliament.
The third reform is to drastically reduce MPs’ salaries, privileges, and benefits and make it illegal for MPs to vote on their own salaries.
In line with this, the fourth reform is to abolish commissions, bloated government agencies, and all institutions that exist to reward cronies and to sustain crony capitalism and rent-seeking behaviour. These cuts will make our budget leaner and save the country billions.
In addition, we must prioritise police reforms through professionalising training and police accountability systems. We must review legal provisions that the police use to justify brutality. Finally, we must review the role of the military in internal security issues to avoid any future abuse of military forces.
Implications of radical restructuring
To begin with, creating a PM position will significantly improve how government business is conducted. The PM will be held accountable directly by Parliament and, by extension, the citizens.
This means an improvement in transparency, oversight, and quicker response to government failure. Since the PM would be elected by Parliament, the cost of elections would not increase at all. Kenya would still have a ceremonial head of state, charged with international relations and symbolising national unity.
Taxing and spending power will be placed in the office of the Prime Minister. This lifts the burden currently placed on the Executive, significantly reducing the risk of authoritarianism, abuse of power and lack of accountability.
The second implication emanating from new midterm elections is the possible increase in the election budget. Midterm polls could be covered by the budget currently used for overpaying greedy MPs, the benefits they claim, and the unnecessary privileges we afford them.
We can no longer pamper MPs with mortgages and car loans that cost a fraction of what ordinary Kenyans pay, while still affording them weekend parties with our taxes.
I am convinced the public would prefer to hold leaders more accountable through midterm elections every two and a half years, instead of the lengthy recall processes that never works.
One downside of parliamentary systems is the risk of political instability when partisan interests supersede national interests. But the benefits outweigh this risk.
Barriers to a ballot-box revolution
Hard truths must be confronted if the youth are to secure the 8 million votes needed to reform the republic. First, ethnicity must be dismantled. We replicate the cycle of elite manipulation every time we vote along ethnic lines.
Second, we must face the reality that the youth are trapped in cycles of alcohol and drug abuse.
Political awakening must go hand in hand with rehabilitating ourselves. Third, the youth must exit from the old political parties that have delivered the current political and socio-economic failures. It is time to build a new front, powered by the youth for the future of our generation. Fourth, we must fight and defeat political apathy and civic ignorance.
Every youth must understand their citizen duty and comprehend that the future and legacy of our generation is at stake.
As a patriot, fellow young leader, and citizen, I urge all of us to take deliberate and united steps in reforming this republic. I invite all of you to interrogate, critique and hopefully improve my proposal.
The future we desire will not build itself. I hope this inspires dialogue and sparks action towards more realistic, measurable, and achievable goals in our endeavor to rebuild our country. We must all rise to the occasion with a lot of discipline, a plan, and eyes set on the vision.
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