The Kenyan Youth.

Photo Courtesy: youthvillage.co.ke

It is beyond doubt that the future of any nation lies in the hands of its young people. Just like in a family, the parents get old and leave behind their offspring to achieve what they themselves did not achieve and do better than they themselves did. Their hope sits in the hands of their children. In the Kenyan setup as well, the hope of the populace lies in the hands of the elites in the society, the young, vibrant members of the society.

This should be an opportunity to the Kenyan youth, though it has been slowly turning into a source of grief to them. The older members who still occupy public office have tried ‘to become younger’ by lurking and refusing to get out of public office. They claim that the more they get old, the more they become experienced. The dreams of the young people seem to be buried in a deep, dark pit. Their cry is directed but to a deaf audience.

Whenever a single youth is nominated or elected into public office, the government marvels at it everywhere as if they’ve elected all the qualified youths! It seems like the government feels like it has favoured them when they get them to serve in office, yet they should be regularly considered because they are able and qualified. But there’s still a ray of hope that one day, the young will still arise, rise and become great.

It is amazing how the Kenyan youth are given to sports and games. They are diversely endowed with different talents which they make good use of. However, sometimes they go overboard and use most of their time in less productive things. The youngest data has it that 75% of Kenyan youths use around 86% of their time watching European Football. Just watching and betting!

Anyone can, by their own reasoning, conflict the data, but we cannot close our eyes to the fact that the youths are prone to using most of their time in watching games and sports far beyond studying and gaining skills on other fields of importance. If the youths can be more vibrant and open-minded and use their time to earn more skills, such as in music, technology and business, they would become better and qualified candidates for life’s demands.

Illustration on: thepeakperformancecenter.com

There is a sense in which any youth in Kenya is worried of their fate of employment after studies. The issue has now become an eroding wave in the hearts of the young people. But the future of the youths is still promising, since more chances and opportunities keep coming up to their rescue. However, there is more meaning in finding a way of getting self-employed rather than relying on the government. This can only happen if the young people in Kenya arise to rescue themselves from the pangs of unemployment. They must avoid anything that so easily entangles them and impedes their spirited search for relevance and future greatness.

The Kenyan young people have for a long time been suppressed and the doors to their dreams tightly locked. Currently, the statistics indicating the teenage pregnancies are worrying. It’s turning to an eyesore, coupled with the ever-balooning COVID-19 cases. Young girls have got to realise that they’re being hunted down from every other direction by immoral people. There’s therefore a great need to stand firm and say “No” to any misleading request.

The world’s desire and quest is to morally annihilate the young people. To make them irrelevant. To steal their joy. Even very young kids have got darkened and misled into immorality. So sad. Children are becoming mothers and fathers! A firm decision is paramount at such a time. Unless you are ready to become even more depraved and get lost, giving in to misinformed requests and decisions is like driving yourself into a cul-de-sac, a street with an entrance but no exit.

To sum up the matter, the hope of the young people remains only within themselves. In the words of the late American poet, Maya Angelou,

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within”.

As young people then, we’ve got to strengthen ourselves and soar higher, unleashing every potential at our disposal and enthusiastically strive to get hold of every opportunity that can transform us to better people in the society. The youthful days are quickly petering away. The fate of our future is in our hands. No room for more complaints. Let’s drop the games and run after our future before it slips out of our hands.