Kenyan youth represent the country’s largest segment of the population and, while they are capable of effecting substantial social and economic change, their entry into formal political leadership has been limited since independence. In the past, young people have been relegated to peripheral roles within political institutions. The 1963 Independence Constitution had no mechanism to ensure youth inclusion, but the 2010 Constitution made it official that youth are a special group with the right to representation. Based on secondary research, this chapter outlines the development of youth political inclusion, analyses constitutional underpinnings, and considers descriptive representation in political parties and Parliament. It concludes that underrepresentation persists due to weak implementation nationally.

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Youth Political Representation in Kenya: Ongoing Struggles Despite the 2010 Constitutional Reform

  • Gloria Nyambura Kenyatta

摘要

Kenyan youth represent the country’s largest segment of the population and, while they are capable of effecting substantial social and economic change, their entry into formal political leadership has been limited since independence. In the past, young people have been relegated to peripheral roles within political institutions. The 1963 Independence Constitution had no mechanism to ensure youth inclusion, but the 2010 Constitution made it official that youth are a special group with the right to representation. Based on secondary research, this chapter outlines the development of youth political inclusion, analyses constitutional underpinnings, and considers descriptive representation in political parties and Parliament. It concludes that underrepresentation persists due to weak implementation nationally.