Truth to power: Youth group vows to shape 2027 politics after manifesto launch
Kidi Mwaga, the convener of the Manifesto Yetu Youth Working Group.
The young generation in the country has announced a looming change in how political leadership is perceived by the youth going forward.
As the country prepares for the 2027 General Election, young people have promised not only to participate in the crucial decision-making process but also to seek representation among elective seats across the country.
At the launch of Manifesto Yetu by the Manifesto Yetu Youth Consortium on Thursday, supported by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in Kenya, one speaker after another encouraged the youth to stop sitting on the fence and expecting politicians who do not share their ideologies to shape their future.
Instead, different stakeholders who shared the podium at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) said young people have already shaped the political landscape in the country, citing last year’s Gen Z demonstrations.
Kidi Mwaga, the convener of the Manifesto Yetu Youth Working Group, said the manifesto represents the interests of youth across the country.
In his speech, Mr Mwaga said the youth-driven framework will be a living document that provides a platform for free expression for young people, the majority of whom work in the informal sector.
“Each year, 800,000 young Kenyans enter the job market, yet only 20 percent find formal employment. We occupy less than seven percent of elective offices despite being three-quarters of the population,” Mr Mwaga said.
He expressed disappointment at the treatment youth have received under several governments, which he said fail to address their issues once they assume office.
“Ahead of the 2022 General Election, major political coalitions made grand commitments: millions of jobs, monthly stipends for vulnerable households, and transformative youth programmes. Three years on, the gap between promise and reality has become a deep crater,” Mr Mwaga said.
According to Meg Muchoki, the co-convener of the Manifesto Yetu Youth Working Group, the initiative is driven by the energy of young people committed to seeing their interests fulfilled.
She stated that the manifesto was developed after engagement with more than one thousand youth representatives drawn from networks representing over 400,000 young Kenyans.
“The message was the same across the board. Young people want a Kenya that works. They want dignity, they want inclusion, they want leaders who listen,” Ms Muchoki said, adding that the youth are not seeking charity but partnership, accountability, and opportunities that reflect their lived realities.
Human rights activist and Senior Counsel Prof Kivutha Kibwana said that during his time as Makueni County governor, he recognised the potential of young people in elected positions.
Prof Kibwana said it is the right time for the youth to be centrally involved in political leadership as well as other leadership positions, where their issues will be addressed.
Former Makueni Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana.
“Whatever is in your manifesto, you are able to realise it without hindrance. Although this manifesto is a national youth manifesto, you also need to participate in the national manifesto,” Prof Kibwana said.
He also challenged the police and the youth to engage in dialogue to create a good relationship between them, following the skirmishes witnessed during the Gen Z demonstrations in June 2024 and June 2025.
“There will be a very serious dialogue; and not only dialogue, but also agreement on what is to be done to remedy the situation.”
As an activist, the former governor said they stand in solidarity with the youth in Tanzania following the recent killings, where dissenting protesters who took to the streets to oppose the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan were killed, injured or reported missing.
Siasa Place Executive Director Nerima Wako said the youth must stop being possessed by the idea that change comes from the Office of the President alone.
A coalition of young people from the Manifesto Yetu Consortium launch the Manifesto Yetu Blueprint at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) on Thursday, December 11, 2025.
“Real transformation comes when young voices occupy every level of decision-making power. That means occupying with courage, competence and conviction. Our biggest challenge is not only the presidency; it is a captured Parliament, a Parliament that is voiceless, spineless, and clapping on command,” Ms Wako said.
