While I feel able to claim to be a supporter of the youth for leadership campaign, I cannot honestly bring myself to say at this time that I shall use my precious voter’s card to elect a young “dude” or “dudette” this coming elections.
See, I get what the IED and the “vijana” are up to and I wholly support it. The reason it is not (yet) going to exend to a vote from me is simply this: I will not vote for you simply because you are young. I will not vote for you simply because you say (and I believe you) that it is our time.
The vijana tugutuke campaign seems to me more like a campaign to the youth to be more politically aware and to start to participate in the electoral process – from a local council level to parliamentary politics and even to presidential politics. Great stuff. I agree.
But for the ones who have chosen to “stand”, then a higher responsibility immediately applies to them. TYhey must begin to be specific about what their position is on key realpolitik issues.
I would like for them to speak up on policy regarding education, health care, land redistribution and the squatter problem, investment stimulation and so forth. I would like to actually see hem participating in the campaign process and the political party process and to stand out in the way that they are operating. As the old Kiswahili adage goes “Kizuri chajiuza…”
It is frankly not enough for them to speak sheng’ on TV, spew out excellent lyrics, organise events that are more entertainment than political and generally make us feel nice and fuzzy inside. They MUST intelligently show direction, alternative or otherwise. They must act like leaders.
If you want to be taken seriously, then for God’s sake stand up straight and speak seriously about what you have to offer! The image they continue bolster that Vijana, are flaky, concerned with entertainment only and only generally interested in politics is counter productive at the end of the day.
It is my position, and perhaps that of many others, that if you want my vote, you have to justify to me why I should give it to you and demonstrate that you know enough not to be an idiot with it.
here come the politicians…M.P wanna be’s
spending lots of money trying to impress me
they say they have the road map to set me free
so I just look at them as I wait to see
will they deliver me from poverty…ignorance…disease?
will they enable me to live a life of ease?
please!
I have issues that I need to have addressed
like…
why is it after 9P.M I face the threat of arrest?
is it a crime being young and out of a job?
my neighbour’s children are needy bright children
but will they have to be your relatives
to qualify for a bursary?
you politicians…you M.P wannabes
will you think I’m so cheap?
so cheap as to be enticed by money?
will you preach politics of hatred?
all because someone has stood up to oppose you?
mister politician…M.P wanna be
here you are busy enticing me
what makes you think I’ll vote for you?
if I vote for you…can you fulfill these promises?
do you promise not to go off to parliament and forget us?
do you promise not to raise your salaries…again?
do you promise to practice issues based politics
and not dabble in this populist thing
that seems to be the soup of the day?
do you promise to push the people’s agenda
and not force us to push your agenda?
do you promise to be a servant of the people?
righteous…truthful…humble…accessible?
do you promise to improve the quality of life…
not just for your family but the entire population?
you politicians…you M.P. wanna be’s
these are the questions you need to answer…
good luck in getting anyone let alone the youth to give you a plan of action. you are better off being a guy. i’m being molested by both the “vote youth vote change” and “vote woman vote equality” campaigns. at this rate i’m inclined to voting an 18 year-old girl to be over and done with the noise in my head.
but i hear you, we should start voting on ISSUES and not just personalities, age and gender. but i believe we are a while away from all of that. maybe we re- start this topic in 2012??