Mr Peter Osteen Ngui, the leader of the Youth Aspirants Movement (YAM), during a meeting of the movement held in Nairobi on Sunday, August 7, 2025. Photo/Newsflash
By Wanderi Kamau
The Kenyan youth have been challenged to take a proactive role in shaping the country’s political future as the nation gears up for the 2027 General Election.
The call was made by Mr Peter Osteen Ngui, the leader of the Youth Aspirants Movement (YAM), during a meeting of the movement held in Nairobi on Sunday, August 7, 2025.
Ngui, who contested the Kilifi South parliamentary seat in the 2022 elections, said the moment had come for young people to position themselves at the centre of Kenya’s governance and leadership.
“There are so many challenges facing the country in terms of governance. For long, the Kenyan youth have been sidelined in key national decision-making processes, and most have been ignored by political parties during electioneering periods. Their time to shine is now,” he declared.
Growing political awakening
The meeting brought together young people from different regions of the country, reflecting a growing sense of unity and urgency among Kenya’s youthful population. Participants echoed Ngui’s sentiments, insisting that the youth can no longer afford to remain on the periphery of governance.
The gathering comes at a time when Kenya’s Generation Z has become increasingly vocal in demanding accountability and responsible leadership from the broad-based government led by President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
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In recent months, young people have staged demonstrations, mobilized conversations online, and pushed for systemic reforms aimed at fighting corruption, improving service delivery, and safeguarding their economic future. The YAM meeting, therefore, served as a platform to channel that energy into structured political participation ahead of the 2027 polls.
Breaking the political barriers
Ngui emphasized that waiting for handouts from established political outfits would only perpetuate the cycle of exclusion that has kept young people out of leadership for decades. He urged youth across the country to pursue leadership positions boldly, with or without the backing of dominant parties.
“The youth should not wait to be given party tickets to vie for various positions in the forthcoming elections. They should fight for them,” he charged, receiving loud applause from the audience.
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He further called for unity among young aspirants, saying that collaboration and shared ideals would give them a stronger bargaining power in the political arena. According to Ngui, the Youth Aspirants Movement intends to mentor, resource, and support candidates who are committed to pushing a people-centred agenda.
Road to 2027
With nearly 75 percent of Kenya’s population under the age of 35, political analysts argue that the youth hold the power to tilt the scales in future elections if they mobilize effectively. However, low voter turnout among young people, coupled with disillusionment over unfulfilled promises, has historically weakened their influence.
Ngui and his colleagues in YAM believe that trend can be reversed by instilling confidence, building networks, and presenting credible alternatives to the political establishment.
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