President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to appoint washed up veteran politicians, relatives of several prominent politicians and some individuals who have been in newspapers for as long as Kenya has had newspapers (here’s looking at you Richard Leakey!) to parastatal positions announced late on Monday has angered many Kenyans, especially the youth. Many of them feel that Kenyatta has betrayed them by rewarding the old guard even though it was largely through their votes that he squeaked through to State House.
How Do you Campaign with the Youth only to reward other loyalists and Sons of Politicians #RecycledPoliticians
— Hon. Steve Mbogo (@HonSteveMbogo) April 28, 2015
Kenyan youth, your work is to queue at 4 AM to vote then you are done with. #RecycledPoliticians — Ωjiriħ Mågµ (@NjirihMagu) April 28, 2015
Today marks the end of my believe in the UhuRuto Government…Youths we dont have a future in this country period.. #RecycledPoliticians
— wesley mogeni (@ekegenga) April 28, 2015
I sympathies with jobless young professionals. U may never live to serve ur country as long as the status quo remains. #RecycledPoliticians — Simon Chege K (@simonchegek1) April 28, 2015
Seth Panyako : The government is trying to reward it’s cronies leaving the Kenyan youth jobless and hopeless #RecycledPoliticians@chegetm
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) April 28, 2015
The consensus seems to be that by bringing back politicians Kenyans rejected at the last elections, Kenyatta is earning the loyalty of a powerful and influential constituency of power brokers even as he burns up his political capital with the youth.
Was preesident @UKenyatta simply rewarding political loyalty or was it a strategy with 2017 in mind #RecycledPoliticians @K24Tv @K24Alfajiri
— chege kariuki (@chegetm) April 28, 2015
I can boldly say that the appointments are a strategy for 2017 @K24Tv#RecycledPoliticians — Moses Njoroge (@Sesmoyd) April 28, 2015
But do the youth have a right to complain about who Kenyatta’s latest appointments? I agree with those Kenyans that take the view that it’s a little too late in the day to have buyer’s remorse. By voting for Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding president, Kenya’s youth cemented the notion that power in Kenya should always be kept in the hands of the powerful.
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About the appointments: Our leaders are a reflection of ourselves, SO, STOP COMPLAINING!In 2013 you had eight options but chose to recycle the prominent families, we are not better than them.
Posted by Tsarm Wachira on Tuesday, 28 April 2015
The youth may complain about Uhuru giving jobs to the powerful, well-born and wealthy but they did the exact same thing to Martha Karua, James Ole Kiyiapi and Mohammed Abduba Dida in the last elections. Kenyans did not just give Uhuru the mandate, they made sure that the second (Raila Odinga) and third (Musalia Mudavadi) candidates in the polls were also similarly blessed by the genetic and economic lottery. Uhuru has not betrayed the youth, he has merely shown them the ugly reality of their political choices.
Perhaps in the next elections the youth can look beyond the familiar names from political dynasties and pick a candidate that reflects the Kenya they want to live in. The Kenya where upward mobility is not determined by your family, tribe or bank balance but by your skills and competence.
