NATIONAL YOUTH FORUM MEMORANDUM TO THE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS
Wangui Mbatia, KENGO
On 17th November 2009, the Committee of Experts on Constitutional
Review (CoE) launched the harmonized draft constitution for a 30 days
public scrutiny and debate. This important event took place on the
same day and building as another groundbreaking event – the National
Youth Forum (NYF) on the Constitutional Review Process – at which 700
youth delegates resolved to mobilize and organize the youth from
across the country to play an active role in the remaining phases of
the review process so as to ensure that the Constitution enacted at
the forthcoming referendum reflects the aspirations of the current
youth and future generations. The delegates at the NYF also resolved
to protect the review process from manipulation or derailment by
vested political interests.
In pursuit of one of the resolutions of the National Youth Forum,
under the leadership of six youth organizations – namely The Youth
Agenda (YAA), Nyanza Youth Coalition (NYC), Kenya Muslim Youth
Alliance (KMYA), Kenya Network of Grassroots Organizations (KENGO),
Coast Education Centre (COEC), and the Citizens Assembly (CA),
participants at the National Youth Forum have been vigorously engaged
in mobilizing and organizing young people across the country to read,
debate and submit their views on the draft constitution.
Towards this end, more than 250,000 copies of the harmonized draft
constitution have been distributed using the above structures to young
people allover the country. This was followed by workshops of
grassroots youth delegates in 10 regions (Nyanza, Western, North Rift,
South Rift, Nairobi, Central, Lower Eastern, Upper Eastern, Coast and
North Eastern) running concurrently last week. The workshops provided
platforms for youth representatives to interrogate the provisions of
the harmonized draft constitution and to make recommendations for
consideration by the CoE in production of the second draft to be
forwarded to the Parliamentary Select Committee as envisaged in
Constitution of Kenya Review Act (2008). The workshops also
concretized Program of Action for grassroots youth involvement in the
remaining phases and for protection of the review process.
The regional workshops were attended by a minimum of 50 participants
representing active youth networks from each of the 210
constituencies, institutions of higher learning, regional youth
networks, religious institutions and media. Facilitation was offered
by identified experts who took the delegates through the draft
Constitution before plenary discussions that generated areas of
concern and recommendations.
On Tuesday 15th November 2009, the steering committee members,
together with rapportuers for the regional meetings met for a whole
day to harmonize recommendations from the regional meetings which were
reduced into a memorandum that was presented to the CoE yesterday. A
summary of the same, which is attached hereto, is also appearing on
the Daily Nation as an advertisement today for feedback to the
grassroots and for mobilizing public support as the process moves on
to Parliament and then referendum.
As we come to the end of this phase and focus on the remaining phases
of the constitutional review process and the other aspects of reforms,
we recognize that other youth initiatives, including the conveners of
the National Youth Convention IV (NYCIV), have also been doing
splendid work in mobilizing and organizing youth to generate common
positions on the harmonized draft constitution. I doubt if there is
any other generation or sector that has achieved as much engagement on
the harmonized draft constitution as the youth sector.
If there is anything I have personally come out with from this
process, it is that more than ever before, young people have the
necessary grassroots networks, the intellectual ability, the resolve
and the energy to bring CHANGE to this country. Yes We Can!
The challenge facing us today is to pull together and harmonize our
positions so as to overwhelm the conservatives and the reactionary
forces that attempt to role back our gains towards creation of a
democratic and prosperous nation that provides for the needs of its
entire populace.
I end this by quoting Nelson Mandela, one of my greatest heroes. I
hope this quote motivates each and every one of us who has been
engaged in this process and the previous struggles to bring change to
our country.
“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter;
I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret
that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many
more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a
view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the
distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with
freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long
walk is not ended.”
- Nelson Mandela
Joshua Nyamori
Coordinator
Nyanza Youth Coalition
P.O. Box 1733
Kisumu
Tel: +254 0711 915 449
Email: jnya...@yahoo.co.uk
Joshua....@gmail.com
nyanzayout...@rocketmail.com