Embattled ODM Secretary Basic Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, throughout a current political rally. PHOTO/UGC.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
As I watch the continuing political realignments unfold, I can’t assist however replicate on one highly effective, resounding reality: the younger individuals of Kenya have spoken, they usually have chosen their chief. When Edwin Sifuna declared “Mimi Ndio Sifuna,” they responded with a fervor that echoed throughout the nation, “Sisi Ndio Sifuna.” And people phrases weren’t uttered flippantly, they have been the cries of a era uninterested in the identical empty guarantees, the identical recycled faces, and the identical drained rhetoric.
Sifuna, in that second, embodied their hopes, their desires, and their thirst for change. He turned a logo, not simply of political ambition, however of the type of management they desperately search: one that isn’t mired in the established order however rooted in values of transparency, good governance, and, most significantly, integrity.
However let’s not child ourselves. The political world, particularly for somebody as brilliant and impressive as Sifuna, is filled with traps and distractions. Since his star started to rise, many have weighed in with their opinions on what he ought to do subsequent.
Some are genuinely involved about his future, whereas others are intent on pulling him down. In spite of everything, that is politics. Individuals will let you know what they assume you need to do, however few will ever perceive the depth of the alternatives earlier than you.
So, what are the alternatives earlier than Sifuna? Some say he ought to stay as ODM Secretary Basic, others counsel he ought to break free and type his personal occasion, after which, after all, there’s the matter of his ambitions for 2027; ought to he run for president? Ought to he vie for the deputy seat? These usually are not simply easy political maneuvers; they’re choices that can form not solely his political profession but additionally the way forward for hundreds of thousands of younger individuals who have positioned their religion in him.
I’ve little question that Sifuna is absolutely conscious of the gravity of those decisions. However what strikes me most is that his political journey is not only about him; that is in regards to the hundreds of thousands of younger individuals who now see him as their beacon of hope.
This isn’t some summary group of individuals, these are actual younger women and men; millennial, Gen Z, and even the Alphas, who’ve embraced him as their very own. They’ve chosen him as a result of he speaks to their wants, to their wishes for a future rooted in equity, justice, and accountability. They wish to be leaders now, not in some distant, far-off future.
Give it some thought, these younger individuals are those who led the cost final yr within the protests in opposition to the 2024/25 Monetary Invoice. The invoice, which sought to burden Kenyans with oppressive taxes, sparked demonstrations that shortly become a battle for freedom and democracy. The youth marched within the streets, defied the federal government, and confronted abductions, pressured disappearances, and even deaths by the hands of these in energy.
It was a chilling reminder of how far the powers that be will go to crush dissent. However in the midst of all that, Sifuna’s voice rang loud and clear. He didn’t cower. He didn’t fall consistent with the ODM occasion elite.
He stood agency in his perception that the individuals deserve higher, and he persistently rejected any makes an attempt to align ODM with the oppressive authorities that many younger individuals despise.
It’s this consistency, this unwavering dedication to precept that units Sifuna aside. He didn’t succumb to the pressures of the political elite, even when his colleagues in ODM selected to cozy as much as President William Ruto’s administration. When Raila Odinga, the then ODM occasion chief, introduced his intention to work with Ruto and signed an MOU with the Kenya Kwanza authorities, Sifuna was among the many few who overtly disagreed.
And that, my mates, is what true management appears to be like like. He didn’t compromise his values for the sake of political comfort. He stood for what was proper, not for what was simple. In a rustic the place political indecision typically leads to leaders being dubbed “watermelons,” those that lack a transparent place or backbone, Sifuna’s consistency stands as a beacon of integrity.
Now, as we stand on the precipice of an important political second, I really feel the burden of these three phrases—Sisi Ndio Sifuna—heavy on our collective shoulders. The youth of Kenya are not ready for somebody to inform them they’re “future leaders.” They wish to see a brand new actuality, one the place their voices usually are not solely heard however acted upon.
They wish to be in positions of energy immediately; not 10, 20, or 30 years from now. They wish to see somebody who just isn’t afraid to problem the established order, somebody who will battle for them, somebody who will make their aspirations a actuality. These are your burden!
And that brings me to the following large query: Is Sifuna prepared to steer now? Ought to he wait till 2032, as some advisors counsel, or ought to he seize the second in 2027? I consider, certainly, that Sifuna has what it takes to steer Kenya now. We now have seen it earlier than. We noticed it with Barack Obama, who, at 47 years outdated, leapfrogged political giants like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden to grow to be the forty fourth president of the US.
Obama didn’t look forward to the “proper time.” He noticed a window of alternative, and he took it. His imaginative and prescient resonated with the individuals, and he impressed hundreds of thousands world wide. The identical can occur right here. Age, as they are saying, is only a quantity. What issues is the imaginative and prescient and the power to steer.
In Africa, now we have seen younger leaders rise to energy, and they’re altering the narrative. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on the age of 44, turned the president of Senegal, with a mandate constructed on guarantees of anti-corruption and financial reform. Africa’s youth are hungry for change, and they’re able to observe leaders who can ship on these guarantees.
Edwin, you might be at a crossroads. Your determination, no matter it could be, will form the way forward for Kenya. When you select to run for president in 2027 and lose, that isn’t a defeat. Identical to Bobi Wine in Uganda or Julius Malema in South Africa, you’ll proceed to be a voice for the unvoiced, a champion for the youth. You’ll proceed to encourage and empower the following era of leaders.
So, I urge you to take heed to your coronary heart and to the voices of those that consider in you. Don’t let anybody let you know to attend. The time for change is now. The youth have already declared that Sisi Ndio Sifuna. It’s time so that you can rise to the event and lead.
And keep in mind; on the coronary heart of this rising youth-driven political motion is the thought of generational change. The 2019 Kenya Inhabitants and Housing Census paints a transparent demographic image: Kenya is overwhelmingly a youthful nation, with younger individuals forming the most important share of its inhabitants.
In line with the census, these aged between 18 and 35 account for about 30 per cent of the inhabitants, whereas an extra 45 per cent are under the age of 18. Taken collectively, because of this roughly three-quarters of Kenyans are younger individuals, underscoring the truth that youth usually are not merely a big section of society, however the dominant majority.
This demographic actuality carries profound social, financial and political implications. It means Kenya’s current and future are largely formed by the aspirations, wants and frustrations of younger individuals.
From schooling and employment to healthcare, innovation and political participation, the nation’s coverage priorities should replicate the pursuits of a predominantly youthful inhabitants.
In impact, the census confirms that Kenya is a younger nation whose improvement trajectory will rely closely on how successfully it invests in, empowers and engages its youth.
And keep in mind, in the long run, management just isn’t about titles; it’s about making a distinction. It’s about empowering others. Raila Odinga died aspiring to be the president of Kenya, however he remained probably the most highly effective individual within the nation exterior the presidency.
The time for the youth to steer is now, and with you on the helm, I consider that imaginative and prescient can grow to be a actuality.
The author is a journalist and a political modeling specialist.
