Its with great pleasure that i welcome the Draft constitution prepared by the Committee of Experts(CoE) in Kenya ushering in a new dispensation order that is going to transform generations to come. Unlike the current constitution which was negotiated by the erstwhile colonial master with a few Kenyans sent to rubber stamp and legitimize it in Lancaster and bears the hallmarks of colonialism, this one is made in Kenya, by Kenyans and for Kenyans.
While am up bit about this development, am cautiously optimistic about two issues. One is concerning the participation of youths in the debate and secondly, about the manner in which Kenyan politicians are working over time to scuttle this document on account of very frivolous grounds touching on power. But my main concern is about the former group. Going by the statistics being bandied around, it is said that the youths in Kenya form the bulk of the populace standing at roughly 70-80%. Now this is a force to reckon with since it forms a substantial critical mass and a threshold enough to initiate change. This group not only represent the future(present), but also stands to either lose a great deal or gain depending on whether as a country we do adopt this constitution or reject it in toto.
While am willing to buy the argument that this document isn't a perfect one and neither is it a panacea for our struggles as young people, i'd wish that we seriously consider our choices lest we continue suffering due to the ineffectiveness of the current one. It's against this backdrop that i implore all young folks to not only study it keenly and soberly, but also contribute to the ongoing debate about various issues that stand to affect them and the generations to come. We should remember that we will act as guinea pigs if it sails through, and the judgement is going to be very harsh if we don't participate in the process which aims at coming up with a fair document. We as young people are the key stakeholders in the sense of us having a huge number, and also due to the fact that it'll be implemented under our very watch. Lets ignore the politicians who are obsessed with the power clause and lets read in order to make wise decisions that yield positive results and change. The onus is on us!
