from Dann Mwangi

Friends, this is an edited version of the concerns i raised to Micheal Rannerberger over the National YOuth Forum, a week ago even before Mutuas Declaratiuon that Youths are Been funded to topple the goverrnment.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

From: dann mwangi

H.E Michael Ranneberger

Dear Sir,

In this regard, I am writing in reference to the National Youth Forum that you addressed and played a key role in its realization.

However, much of efforts that you have given to the young people and also the support from USaid may not be effective and might not achieve the overall goal of assisting the young people.This is partly because the mechanisms and the systems within which the National Youth Forums runs are opaque, devoid of transparency and accountability.In deed, even dictatorial elements are obvious as some delegates who are known to be forthright on issues were denied microphones to air their views as they were in the first place located seats in places that had faulty conference mics. Impunity is a great cancer in this country and continues to be our Achilees Heel.Unfortunately this culture is embedded in the youths programs in this country and not unless a deep and thorough reorganization of our systems is done, the youths in this country will not be the engine of the reforms that we need. Thus the institutional framework, engendered on youths age bracket ,merit, the rule of law and democratic rule need to be established if NYF is to achieve all its goals.

With this regard, many resolutions were passed in this session but it was a mockery of justice and common sense that the youths themselves did not deliberate extensively on these resolutions as we were merely subjected to old ways of the political parties in this country of holding Delegates conferences where the “elite” have already decided what to do but only uses the delegates to rubber stamp their selfish thinking.Thus such resolutions, in my considered opinion were not crafted by the delegates or a sample representative of the delegates and thus cannot stand on their own feet and pass the bare minimum of intergrity.Therefore, if such a system of working will be the cornerstone of the USAID run youth programs, even the Youth Innovative for Change Fund will be a cropper.This is because it will not be youth-owned,youth-led and youth-managed as it will be the same leaders who will control and impose their own ideas, which may not necessarily be in tandem with what the youths want.

Morever, you were very clear in your speech that the Board of the National Youth Forum will constitute 47 county representative.Obviously, this is the right path as our county government will form a key vehicle in youth development.

However, you did not elaborate on the the management of the National Youth Forum at the national level, or perhaps whether such a structure will be there or not.Currently, many youth groups are wallowing in a miasma of confusion, as there do not know how to join NYF since the national structure is not clear.Moreso,the national structure is run like a private members club that only espouses its own agendas, vested and sectarian interests.On the same issue, the county heads should be put on merit and with great finesse to avoid a situation whereby like the just concluded forum, you see a youth from Nairobi masquerading as a Turkana delegate and the youth has never been to Turkana and even has no plans of going there. This is in deed is a travesty of justice as it denies genuine youths from such an area from participating in such a forum.

Your excellency, the youth age bracket has been ambiguous for a long time but with the enactment of the new constitution and the National Youth Council Act, it has been made cyrstal clear to be between 18-35 years.Thus for these ambitious and noble programs to succeed, there is need to interrogate whether this age bracket is properly involved and whether its leadership, which needs much nurturing falls within this gap.I point this because the biggest problem we face in this country is because the country is run in a seclusionist way and thus many funds and opportunities for the youths are given to the old people.As a fact the Ministry of Youth and Sports and all the institutions below it have considerably failed because this age bracket has been deliberately denied a chance to participate in policy making and management.It is not because this age group is not qualified or is disinterested but because of the general and well calculated move to deny us the chance to exercise our leadership skills.Thus your excellency, its my firm belief that NYF should lead at the front and show the way to the government and also private sector because if we do business in the usual jua kali way, we will not achieve our national goals and objective.

In conclusion, much has been realized by the National Youth Forum to date, but if such issues are considered,i believe NYF will do better and will be a great organization that will in the ultimate future lead in the proper governance of this country and Africa at large.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Dann Mwangi

+254 714 602583 LLB,LLM, CONTINUING, UON.