Since the anti-Finance Bill protests in 2024, the youth of Kenya have shown that they will no longer be spectators in how the country is run. Nation Lifestyle examines the trending ‘Uko Kadi?’ campaign, which has been rallying to register new voters and verify voter details for Kenyan youth over the last two weeks, as they aim to take over the polls to bring about the change they want.
The videos are hard to miss. One scroll through TikTok and they begin to blend into each other, short video clips stitched together with quick cuts and music in the background.
A group of friends stands in a circle, laughing. One pulls out a small card and flashes it at the camera. Another follows. Then another. The video ends with bold words across the screen: “Uko kadi?” (do you have your voter’s card/are you a registered voter?).
In another clip, a young woman sits on her bed, pretending to ignore her friends calling her out. The next second, she jumps up, holds her voter’s card, and joins them. In yet another, animated cartoons pop up, teasing those without the card, turning a serious question into something light and funny. Memes are everywhere, some playful, some sarcastic, but all asking the same thing.
At the centre of this “Uko kadi?” growing movement is 26-year-old Allans Ademba, who was born and raised in Kibra, Nairobi. A photojournalist by profession, he says, his work has focused on helping people understand how government works: breaking down processes, explaining policies, and making sense of decisions that often feel far removed from everyday life.
“When the anti-finance bill protests happened, I saw what people were going through,” he explains.
Allans Ademba, 29, the man behind ‘Uko Kadi?’.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
“I was there, recording, watching it happen. That is when it became clear that young people cannot stay out of the electoral process anymore. If decisions are affecting you, then you must take part in how those decisions are made.”
For Ademba, the idea behind “Uko kadi?” did not start as a big campaign. It started as a simple question – direct and easy to understand.
“It is about the voter’s card,” he says.
“We are asking: are you registered? Have you checked? If not, are you planning to register?”
Speaking in their language
By turning it into “Uko kadi”, he found a way to speak to young people in a language they already use. It did not feel forced or official. It felt like something you would ask your friend.
Within hours of trying it out with colleagues, the phrase began to spread. Videos started appearing online. Friends tagged each other. Groups formed around the idea, calling themselves “My circles tuko kadi.” It was not long before it moved beyond their immediate circle and into the wider public.
“It just picked up,” he says.
“We learnt what young people already do on TikTok trends: short videos, humour. That is how you pass a message today.”
Ademba says young people are often seen as uninterested in voting, but he believes that is not the full story.
“It is not that young people do not want to vote,” he says. “Sometimes, the process feels far away, or they feel like their voice will not matter. Sometimes, it is even about access. We are trying to change that thinking and make it feel closer to them.”
Their thoughts: 'It's time to move from talk to action'
For Tabitha Oluoch, 24, the movement feels both timely and necessary. She says she is a youth participation champion, and the idea to join the challenge came after discussions with friends about why many young people were not voting.
“We were talking about voter apathy,” she says. “And we realised something surprising. Many young people in urban areas, even with access to information, are the ones not voting.”
She explains that in many rural areas, people often feel more connected to their leaders. They know them, see them, and interact with them more often. But in urban spaces, there is no connection.
“So we want to change that perception,” she says. “We want to show that voting is not just important, it can also be something young people are proud of.”
For her, the strength of “Uko kadi?” lies in how it spreads: through conversations, friendships, and shared spaces online – informal and organic.
“We have seen conversations happening in places like Turkana,” she says. “Young people are picking it up and talking about registration among themselves. That is how we know it is working.”
Still, she believes the hardest step remains the simplest one, showing up.
“It is hard to act alone,” she says.
“But when your friends are doing it, when you see people you relate to taking that step, it becomes easier. There is power in numbers.”
That idea of collective action is something Abbie Zuena understands well. A real estate consultant and youth advocate, she has spent years engaging young people on social media, talking about governance and accountability. But she says the moment calls for something more.
“We have been very active online,” she says.
“We have talked, we have questioned, we have shared information. But now it is time to move from talk to action, especially with elections coming.”
She feels “Uko kadi?” is more than just a trend. It is a bridge between online conversations and real-world participation. By working with influencers and using platforms young people already engage with, she believes the message can go further.
“We have always talked about strength in numbers,” she says. “Now we are saying those numbers must show up in voter registration.”
“Young people enjoy games. They enjoy winning,” she says.
“But you cannot win if you are not part of the game. Being ‘kadi’ means you are in it. You have a say in how things turn out.”
“If we do not do civic education, we risk raising a generation that does not understand its power. Young people need to be reminded that they matter and that their voice counts.”
Across the country, more young people are beginning to respond to that message. In different towns and cities, small groups are forming, encouraging each other to register and take part.
Samson Muthami,28, believes this could be the start of something bigger.
“We came here to show that change is possible,” he says. “Young people should not accept the idea that we do not vote. We have the energy. We just need to use it in the right way.”
Evans Onyango,27, shares that sense of urgency. “We are tired,” he says. “Tired of leaders who do not deliver. Tired of being ignored.”
“The only way to change this is by taking part in the process,” he says. “Register. That is where it starts. Change will not come if we sit back.”
