‘If no attention is paid to the youth, things will get ugly': Obasanjo on Kenyan protests

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has attributed the ongoing anti-government protests across Kenya to the anger and frustration of the youth due to poor governance.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘JKLive’ show on Wednesday, Obasanjo opined that youths in Kenya and the entire African continent are grappling with similar problems, among them lack of jobs and poverty which have led to hopelessness for the majority.

He warned of a looming revolution if leaders do not heed to the needs of the youth, comparing the situation to a ticking time bomb.

“They are unemployed, underpowered and see nothing other than hopelessness. In a situation like that, what you have from frustrated youth is anger and they have no hope. If you want to kill any human being, take hope and cut away his life, that is what is happening,” said Obasanjo.

“All of Africa, we are all sitting on the keg of gunpowder because of the youth, and there is virtually no excuse in Africa why the youth are not angry.”

Citing a phrase he coined during a past visit to Kenya in 2011, ‘From the Arab spring there will be an African winter,’ the renowned African peace ambassador said that the continent is staring at a similar scene of youth revolution.

“If no adequate attention is paid to the needs of the youth in Africa, the autumn will turn to winter and it will be very ugly for all of us,” he stated.

Obasanjo went on to point out that most youths are also angered by the opulence of the leaders despite the hard economic times.

“If you have nothing to gain, you are jobless, you are not empowered, you are in poverty and then you see your leaders, some of them in obscene affluence, then what do you do?” Posed Obasanjo.