- The students said the issues require decisive action to ensure sustainable development and improved quality of life for Kenyans.
- Ruto on Wednesday said he had heard the voice of the youth expressed firmly through mass demonstrations this past week.
Image: PCS
The University of Nairobi Student Council has listed areas of concern they want President William Ruto to address.
In a statement on Friday signed by council president Rocha Madzao, the UoN students said discussions will be on issues impacting the country.
The students said the issues require decisive action to ensure sustainable development and improved quality of life for Kenyans.
"We request for an urgent conversation/dialogue with the President as he promised to discuss the issues and the way forward. This can be done online or in a physical meeting," the student leaders said.
Ruto on Wednesday said he had heard the voice of the youth expressed firmly through mass demonstrations this past week.
"Accordingly, as I committed on Sunday, I propose an engagement with young people of our nation to listen to their issues and agree with them on their priority areas of concern," he said as he announced that he would not sign the Finance Bill.
Top on the agenda, the students want accountability for all the lives lost and the injuries inflicted on youths who were peacefully demonstrating against the impugned Finance Bill, 2024.
They want the perpetrators brought to book.
Next on the agenda is corruption and accountability.
They want Ruto's administration to audit the hiring processes conducted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and strengthen institutions tasked with fighting corruption by ensuring they are well-funded, independent, and free from political interference.
Further, the student representatives want the President to slash Executive expenditure by conducting a thorough review of its budget for purposes of identifying areas where cuts can be made without compromising essential functions.
They have also called for the establishment of a clear framework for holding departments accountable for their spending, ensuring regular audits and public reporting.
The students further want their education funding affairs looked into through increased funding for the entire Education sector.
"Prioritise funding for teacher training, infrastructure development, and the provision of learning materials to improve the quality of education," they said.
"We urge this government to prioritise the rehabilitation of infrastructure in the various universities across the country," they emphasised.
The young leaders also want the government to audit the Ministry of Education and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to entrench and strenghthen transparency.
Further, the students want the government to leverage technology to enhance public participation, specifically targeting youth, to ensure their voices are heard effectively in decision-making processes.
"This approach aims to utilise Digital Platforms and implement interactive digital platforms such as mobile apps, websites and social media channels dedicated to soliciting youth opinions on relevant issues," the students said.
The student leaders also delved into the economic affairs of the country and offered their opinion on how best to manage Kenya's debt burden.
They called on the Ministry of Finance and the National Treasury to offer exploration on the primary factors contributing to Kenya’s escalating debt.
This, they said, includes but is not limited to fiscal policies, external economic factors and domestic governance issues.
They advised that the public debts, how the they were acquired, used and the repayment dates be published to enhance public trust.