From: Kuria-Mwangi
Raila is way ahead of the rest of the wannabe yet we continue to payuker youthful leaders. Where is Prof. Kiyiapi and the other wannabes? Aren’t we wasting time talking about him when the youth don’t even know him yet we continue to payuker about his credentials.
Only the loud mouths in these fora know that the Prof. will be on the ballot next year. Even his base which I assume is Maasailand don’t even that know he is interested in running for office.
I will say it again. Anybody expecting to “eat” the civil servant salary until he is forced to leave when civil servants are supposed to resign in order to run for office is wasting his time and our time.
Kigame and others minding the Prof. should tell him to quit now or forget it.
By the time they are forced to leave office, it will be too late and youths wont care about them.
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Reformist presidential aspirant will sweep youth off their feet
By BILLY MUIRURI, bmuiruri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, June 17 2011 at 22:45
Share The 2012 presidential candidate who demonstrates the strongest reform credentials is likely to win the youth votes, a new survey reveals.
Reform credentials impress 36 per cent of Kenyan youth while those without a corruption-riddled background have the support of 27 per cent of the youth. Leaders who are trustworthy will attract 25 per cent of the youth vote.
These factors considered, the youth would rather vote for Prime Minister Raila Odinga (45 per cent), Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta (17 per cent) and Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua (14 per cent) in that order, according to a survey conducted by Infotrak Harris for Saturday Nation.
Mr Odinga commands the respect of half the youth in Nairobi while he would sway the least youth to vote for him in Central and North Eastern provinces at 20 per cent, shows the poll conducted on 1,680 respondents aged between 17 and 35 years.
Mr Kenyatta’s bedrock of youth support is in Central Province (30 per cent), Eastern (25 per cent) and the Rift Valley at 19 per cent.
Interestingly, Ms Karua’s major support among the youth comes from her Eastern backyard at 21 per cent and Western at 19 per cent. Nairobi youth are Ms Karua’s third largest supporters at 14 per cent.
Ms Karua seems to have gained support from the youth largely because she is a new entrant in the presidential race and is not associated with the old habits of political betrayal as well as her aggressive use of social sites in her campaigns. Her consistent stance against corruption could also have played a part in winning over the youth.
Mr Odinga beats Mr Kenyatta and Ms Karua combined in urban support by the youth. He scores 46 per cent against Mr Kenyatta’s 19 per cent.
The gap is reduced in the rural areas with Mr Odinga posting 38 per cent against Mr Kenyatta’s 15 per cent.
At the moment, two in every three youth are either unhappy or very unhappy with the Grand Coalition Government, with a meagre 9 per cent saying they were either happy or very happy with it.
Half of those interviewed say the reason the government frustrates them is its failure to address unemployment among the youth. Endless cases of corruption caused by poor governance is the second reason the youth are unhappy, while slow implementation of the new Constitution comes third.
More men (71 per cent) than women (61 per cent) are disillusioned with the state of political affairs in the government and 56 per cent of them want job creation prioritised.
Arresting the cost of basic commodities comes second in the youth’s wish list with empowerment strategies cited as a sure way to reduce constraints associated with young people.
The government draws more ire for under-performance from urban residents at 66 per cent while the disillusioned rural folk constitute 60 per cent.
Men are generally unhappy with the government, posting a 71 per cent disapproval rate compared to 60 per cent of women.