- A democratic country’s future is a destination reached through a collective effort, where leaders are behind the wheel, and citizens fuel the engine. The direction which it takes is majorly influenced by the regime of the day, one put in place by citizens through elections.
- Nearly half of Kenya’s population constitutes young eligible voters. This citizenry holds the nation’s destiny in its hands, but their negligence towards matters; politics has left this responsibility to the seniors.
A democratic country’s future is a destination reached through a collective effort, where leaders are behind the wheel, and citizens fuel the engine. The direction which it takes is majorly influenced by the regime of the day, one put in place by citizens through elections.
Kenya is a youthful country, with a demographic graph (illustrating its population) assuming a pyramid shape where the young people are represented by the broad base and elderly represented by the narrowing tip.
Nearly half of Kenya’s population constitutes young eligible voters. This citizenry holds the nation’s destiny in its hands, but their negligence towards matters; politics has left this responsibility to the seniors.
Public participation is a key step in the enactment journey of any proposal presented to the Parliament. For instance, the question of whether the Finance Bill 2024 will see the light of day purely relies on public involvement.
President William Ruto cited the Finance Bill 2024, a coolant for the debt heat pricking the country’s economy. This fact has been backed by the Treasury Principal Secretary, Chris Kiptoo, during the June 11, 2024 seating before the National Assembly Finance Committee, hinting at a dire situation as the country’s debt carrying capacity having escalated to high risk as of 2020.
The Finance Bill 2024 has also been hailed as a move towards sustainable environmental conservation with the proposed eco levy, a tax imposed on any environmentally unfriendly commodity like batteries, tyres, phones, and plastic waste.
However, famed young minds like comedian and actor Eric Omondi have shared their takes on the proposed bill, terming it a way for the government to take more from Kenyans, whereas the money’s impact is not seen on the ground.
“If they pass the Finance Bill 2024, it will not be business as usual, because the President campaigned and said to the people that there would be no more high taxes, no borrowing. But why is the President going to South Korea, America, Italy and Egypt, while still taxing? Where is the balance?” he indignantly asked.
Timothy Njuguna, a renowned content creator, also denounced the state of leadership in the country, courtesy of inadequate youth participation, occasioning negligence towards the issues that really matter to young people. He mentioned a lack of hope and inspiration, which should have been born and bred by the pioneers.
“My worry is, will I see money budgeted to facilitate my production? Or is it just taxing and taxing? The reason I’m saying this, as a content creator, we are hidden in youth empowerment and at times sports and culture. And again, as youths we have been let down, we go to school but there are no jobs. What do we do?” he appealed.
