Youth leaders in Kisumu have called for greater transparency ahead of Sunday’s National Youth Council (NYC) elections, saying key electoral information has yet to be made public.
Speaking on Wednesday, they said neither the list of candidates nor the voters’ register had been released, raising concerns about the credibility of the elections.
Led by Kisumu Youth Assembly chairperson Austin Ogalo, the group urged the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the National Youth Council Secretariat to immediately publish the documents, saying this was necessary to ensure a free and credible vote.
Ogalo said uncertainty over who was eligible to contest and vote had created anxiety among young people in the county.
“We have seen the Gazette Notice stating that the National Youth Council elections will be held on Sunday, but up to now we have not received the list of aspirants or the register of voters,” he said.
“We want clarity on who is contesting and who will be voting from the ward level to the national level.,” he said.
Ogalo said making the voters’ register public would promote accountability and help reduce the risk of disputes after the election.
He also cautioned against the participation of people who fall outside the legally recognised youth age bracket and warned against any attempts to interfere with the electoral process.
Another youth representative, Owira Mogo, said reports that some aspirants had allegedly been meeting government officials before the polls could undermine confidence in the elections.
This is an election for the youth, not for politicians or government agencies. We are telling all political leaders to stay out of this process and allow young people to elect their own representatives without interference,” Mogo said.
The leaders said the National Youth Council Elections Guidelines require both the candidates’ register and the voters’ register to be published before polling day, but claimed this had not been done.
Maseno University student leader Juma Graham said young people were ready to take part in the elections but wanted a process that was transparent and widely accepted.
“We are demanding free, fair, credible and verifiable elections,” he said.”Even if the elections are postponed, what matters is that the process is transparent and enjoys the confidence of the youth,” Graham said.
The youth leaders warned that failure to address their concerns could undermine confidence in the National Youth Council, which represents the interests of young people in Kenya.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and the National Youth Council Secretariat have not yet responded to the concerns.
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