By Emanuel Tarus, DevReporter, Trans Nzoia County
Every election season, the exploitation of the youth becomes a common practice especially among religious leaders, civil society organizations and government officials.
We sought to find out why majority of the youth are exploited by politicians seeking elective seats.
Radio Baraza established that idleness among majority of youth in Trans Nzoia County is the main cause.
George Barasa, a boda boda rider in Matisi slum told Radio Baraza that low unemployment rates in Trans Nzoia forces majority of the youth to accept offers from politicians in exchange of causing chaos in political rallies.
“Many youth are exploited because they are jobless and whenever any offers are given by politicians, they will always grab them without thinking about the consequences of their actions” Barasa said.
Micro Steve opined that politicians take advantage of jobless youth during election period.
“If a jobless youth is given 200 shillings, he can take and execute every order given to him by his financier” Steve said.
The youth agree that this is a threat to peaceful elections.
“If a politician is chased away and prevented from campaigning in an area perceived to be the opponent’s stronghold, he/she will organize for retaliation in his/her stronghold,” unidentified youth said.
Elsewhere in Kiminini area, Isaac Mugambi said some youth take advantage of the election season to execute their evil plans.
“Some youth are criminals and hide behind the political campaign period; they will take advantage of the season to steal, assault others and cause general disturbance of peace” Mugambi said.
Using the youth to cause chaos in political rallies amounts to breach of the electoral code of conduct developed and enforced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
From the submissions made by the youth interviewed by Radio Baraza, it is clear that unemployment is the main cause of indecent acts such as electoral violence that threaten national security.
