About 40% of the 22 million people registered to vote in Tuesday’s election are aged 18 to 35. Those under 35 make up 75% of the country’s population. Civil society groups reported that they faced particular resistance to registration during engagement campaigns from young eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 25. said Loise Mwakamba, from parliamentary watchdog Mzalendo Trust. Like many previous elections, next week’s polls are expected to be a close race. Two of the presidential contenders, long-time opposition leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto, served high up in government: Odinga as prime minister between 2008 and 2013 and Ruto in the outgoing government. Their long political careers have cemented their influence across the country, but they have also worked against them among voters who criticize their record and see them as likely to maintain the status quo. Public confidence in Kenya’s electoral institution is just 26%, according to a report by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission. The last election in 2017 was annulled by the Kenyan courts. Uhuru Kenyatta won the run-off, which Odinga refused to participate in and called on his followers to boycott. Ruzuna Akoth, 33, who studies social justice and governance, points to this boycott to explain the exclusion of young people. “When Raila did it, it was understood that staying away from the polls was a coping tactic,” he said. But those who spoke publicly about their decision to skip the polls faced backlash from the public. “The response has been a bit lively,” said Mumbi Kanyogo, 26, a communications consultant. “There’s a refusal to address why people don’t vote, and a condescending idea that if you don’t vote, it’s because you’re uninformed, uninterested in politics, or out of touch.” Stacked ballot boxes at a Nairobi warehouse ready to be transported to polling stations across the country, August 1, 2022. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images He said the aim was not to sideline or replace the government’s role in public services, but to build stronger and more politically aware communities that can push for change. “The solution lies in mass political power.” Commentators note the entrenched beliefs surrounding the vote. “We live in a country where citizen participation is limited to voting. The exercise of voting is currently very piecemeal, with politicians engaging the population only when they want to [them] to vote,” said cultural theorist Caroline Mose. “One of the statements that the non-voters are trying to make is that citizen participation needs to go beyond that point.” Irene Asuwa, 26, a social scientist, agrees. Voter turnout this season has been low and passive, he said. “The messages around the election are like, ‘go, vote and go home – and vote peacefully!’” He doesn’t plan to vote. “People say that the youth are apathetic and disengaged – but many of the young people I know are really involved in politics and have just chosen to rethink how politics can work in this country,” said Maureen Kasuku, 30, a community organizer. Kasuku and others who are leaving are exploring other ways to stay politically engaged, such as building labor movements for better working conditions. He believes Kenya’s notoriously expensive election campaigns prevent many good candidates from running for office, narrowing voters’ choices to a privileged few. “It’s an illusion of choice,” he said. “We have one of the most expensive elections in the world and what exactly are Kenyans getting?” Last year, lawmakers rejected a move by the electorate to cap presidential campaign spending at 4.4 billion shillings (30 million pounds) and other political seats, including governorships, senate and parliamentary seats, between 21 million and 123 million shillings. Many politicians go to elections expecting to reap financial or social benefits, according to a report on electoral costs. “The ruling class has its own interests,” Kasuku said. “They are not going to manufacture our consent.” “There’s a condescending idea that if you don’t vote it’s because you’re not informed,” said Mumbi Kanyogo, 26. Photo: Brian Inganga/AP Others who won’t vote have been put off by scandals ranging from allegations of fake degrees to corruption that have embroiled presidential and gubernatorial candidates. “We cannot continue to elect crooked and corrupt leaders and expect saintly behavior,” said Bonface Witaba, 39, a writer and researcher who does not support either presidential candidate. Witaba said the nationality of the candidates allowed them to stay in power: “This culture of slander – of defending the ‘kings of our tribe’ even if they are involved in corruption – will remain our greatest undoing.” But Mose believes there has been a shift since the post-election violence of 2007, which left more than 1,000 Kenyans dead. “We have a large constituency of young people who refuse to be drawn into ethnic politics that used to define Kenya,” he said. “There is an understanding that national identity can be used politically in a very violent and negative way, so many people are returning to their national identity as a cultural identity, but not as a political one.” But political analysts say that while there may be some urban shift, it is not spreading to more rural areas and is unlikely to have an impact on voting patterns. “The fact is that Kenyan politics is still very ethnically based,” said analyst Mark Bichachi, adding that this was evident in the candidates’ choice of candidates. Both leading presidential candidates chose their deputies from the Mount Kenya region – an influential bloc of voters. But Bichachi believes the youth vote could make a difference. “If the 18 to 25 age group voted, they could certainly have an election.” Days before the polls open, civil society groups continue to encourage young people to vote. “The power is not only in the presidency,” Mwakamba said. “Other elective roles such as members of parliament and county assemblies play an essential role on behalf of citizens.”
