Yaden East Africa director Sami Gathii in Kisumu during a Youth Civic Engagement Forum and Festival /Faith Matete Young people have been urged to reject attempts by politicians to exploit their economic vulnerabilities and use them to fuel political violence.
The call was made during a Youth Civic Engagement Forum and Festival held in Kisumu, where youth leaders, civil society organisations and government officials challenged young people to take an active role in shaping the country's political future.
Yaden East Africa director Sami Gathii said young people were often at the centre of political violence despite not owning the problems that trigger conflict.
"Sometimes the face of violence and instability is young people, but they don't own the problem," he said.
Gathii said the forum was aimed at giving young people a platform to discuss their role in civic engagement and commit themselves to promoting peace and cohesion.
He said the initiative was particularly important as the country entered a period of heightened political activity ahead of the next general election.
"There is a lot of attention, energy and political activity. Unfortunately, it is gravitating towards instability and violence and we have seen it in its many manifestations," Gathii said.
He urged young people to resist attempts by politicians and other actors to recruit them into violent activities, saying they should instead become active participants in promoting peaceful political engagement.
The forum brought together young people from Kisumu and neighbouring counties, with participants using art, music, theatre, film, peer-to-peer discussions and digital platforms to promote peace and civic participation.
Gathii said the initiative would not be a one-off event, but the beginning of a wider campaign to reach young people across western Kenya and eventually the country.
"We want to amplify the role of young people who are saying no to violence, who are saying that they have a stake and they are not going to be used," he said.
Gathii said young people were particularly vulnerable to political manipulation because of unemployment and limited access to decent livelihoods.
"Lack of meaningful livelihoods becomes a soft spot through which young people are mobilised and organised to perpetrate violence as different actors, particularly political actors, try to outdo each other," he said.
Gathii said the energy and curiosity associated with young people could also be exploited by political actors if they were not provided with positive spaces and opportunities.
He also cited the use of social media to mobilise young people to attack political opponents, warning that online confrontations could eventually spill over into physical violence.
"Instead of young people using social media positively, they are encouraged, recruited or mobilised as bloggers to fight opponents. This online fight spills over into physical fights," Gathii said.
Tracy Otieno, the founder of Unfold Your Organisation and a student leader at Maseno University, urged young people to seek leadership positions and take part in decision-making processes.
She said young people should form unified and inclusive teams to support one another in seeking leadership positions.
"If we don't go for these positions, who else can go for them?" Otieno posed.
She said young people should also develop systematic approaches to identifying and addressing the challenges affecting them, including political, social and economic barriers.
Otieno said young people should not be viewed merely as subjects of discussion but should be actively involved in finding solutions to issues affecting their communities.
"Everybody is talking about young people, but they are really the subjects of the discussion," she said.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) said it was working with partners to address rising political tensions and prevent conflict ahead of next year's elections.
NCIC Nyanza regional coordinator Castro Baraza said the commission was concerned about emerging political intolerance and the risk of radicalisation in the region.
He said the commission had partnered with Yaden East Africa to give young people a platform to express themselves and develop solutions to issues affecting them.
"The recommendations that they have made will be very key in terms of possible implementation by Yaden," Baraza said.
He said the commission was working to change the narrative of Kisumu as a political violence hotspot and promote peaceful participation in elections.
"We want to help in shaping and changing the narrative of Kisumu from what is being referred to as a political violence hotspot to a county where people can engage constructively," he said.
Baraza said NCIC's mandate included eliminating ethnic, religious and racial discrimination, promoting equal opportunities and ensuring peaceful coexistence among Kenyans.
He said the commission would take action against politicians and other individuals whose conduct violated the NCIC Act or threatened peace and security.
"My message to the political class and all Kenyans is that we should desist from engaging in rhetoric that is divisive and likely to be detrimental to the prevailing peace and security of our country, particularly in Kisumu county," Baraza said.
The forum was attended by youth groups, students, civil society organisations, traders, boda boda representatives and other state and non-state actors.
Organisers said the programme would continue creating platforms where young people can use art, technology and civic engagement to promote peace and resist political manipulation.
