'Youth need mentors, not their own political parties,’ DP spokesman Newton Khamasi says

Youth representatives now say that being allowed to participate in politics goes a long way in moulding them compared to youth leaders forming their own political parties.

Newton Khamasi a youth spokesman of the Democratic Party believes that young people in Kenya should actively indulge in politics by trailing in the footsteps of leaders to gain experience for the future.

Khamasi argues that it is not yet time for the youth to carry the mantle of leadership, especially in political parties' formation as they are still ‘infants ’ in the political arena and thus should join parties to garner experience first.

“You can’t form your own party, it is like telling your children, go and start your own home. You need to train them. When they get of age now, you can tell them go and take over my space,” Khamisi said in an interview on Citizen TV’s Day Break Show on Friday.

Khamisi went on to assert that most young people do not fully understand their position in politics and that is why they are ill-used by political leaders as tools in protests saying that those are just sideshows that add no value to their leadership.

“In this country, we have seen youth try to engage in politics, that it entails one’s face been painted, carrying scandalous placards and doing the movements instead of being involved in the politics of the party,” he said.

"We should emulate the European youth leaders who instead of carrying those placards on the road are participating and providing an alternative leadership."

Njeri Maina, Lawyer and Founder of (Kirinyaga Youth Alliance) KiYA, seconded Khamisi's remarks stating that the youth should first mount their support by voting as a block in order to have bargaining power instead of focusing on creating parties.

“Before we discuss a party, let’s first think about whether the youth can vote as a block. Once we agree on issues affecting us as a youth, we can have a common ground and work towards that, everything is achievable,” she said.

In regard to the upcoming general elections, the youth leaders implored the young people to turn out in large numbers and participate in decision-making rather than being sidelined as mere voters.

“There is no way as young people we are going to vote as a block if we don’t join these political parties because that is where decisions are made; at the party level,” Khamisi noted.