Revealed: Reasons why youths are at the forefront of the protests
By Robert Mutasi
The East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member of Parliament for Youth, Ikram Amina Mohamed, has revealed several significant reasons why youths frequently participate in protests, particularly those related to politics.
Highlighting the most recent example, the Azimio protests, which are aimed at demonstrating against the Kenya Kwanza government, she stated that many youths played significant roles in mobilization.
The demonstration is allegedly led by Azimio party leaders, including the Azimio la Umoja One Coalition's Raila Odinga. Their primary demand is that the government reduce the cost of living, which is currently skyrocketing.
The EALA MP defended the large number of youths participating in protests, arguing that they are the most affected by the current economy.
In an interview with Citizen TV on Friday, Amina stated that youths are at the forefront of protests due to economic slavery.
She also cited the high rate of unemployment among youths as one of the main reasons why they are significantly involved in street protests.
By participating in protests, she said, youths believe that the government would hear their pleas and respond to them.
"We are on the forefront. Let me just say that it's not about UDA or Azimio. It's about what we have experienced in Kenya: economic slavery and economic hindrance since 2014," she said.
Furthermore, she stated that many youths take to the streets because their concerns are not being adequately addressed and they want to pressure the government to respond.
Additionally, Amina stated that youths protest to bring about a revolution in the country.
"Most of the youths are more like activists and quite ambitious. They want to see a changed Kenya. In some ways, you can see this on social media where they frequently use memes perhaps to express their desires in a lighter way," she added.
However, Amina has condemned the government for using force to suppress the youths who are exercising their rights.
What's Your Reaction?
