The general election is around the corner and our politicians have started campaigning before the official date.
Kenyans, particularly young people who currently comprise more than 60 per cent of our population, seem to be aloof from the ongoing political conversations and have for some time expressed voter apathy.
While the manifestos going around seem to be addressing their unemployment issue and the crippling economic environments for the self-employed, they might end up in the dust again like they currently have.
Over a million jobs were promised before and we have struggled as a country to achieve this only creating 78,400 formal jobs in 2018 which was the lowest growth rate since 2012 which was 75,000 as Economic Survey data shows.
Failing to extensively address hard-hitting issues like corruption sets up young people for even tougher living conditions, particularly on their health.
Institution meant to provide for and safeguard Kenya’s health commodities and supplies, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority, has been faced with graft allegations.
With the disappearance of contraceptives from their warehouses, we may face high numbers of unwanted pregnancies and a bulging number of new HIV infections among young people.
This will overburden a currently struggling economy trying to meet its population’s curative and disease management needs that could have been prevented.
According to the monitoring and evaluation directorate, to achieve the aspirations of universal health coverage, the Ministry of Health would focus on achieving a 100 per cent cost subsidy of the essential health package, an 18 per cent increase of health facilities in Kenya in 14 counties, and a 56 per cent increase in the number of health workers.
While these seem to directly influence positive reproductive health outcomes among young people, it has not been the case.
Global Childhood Kenya report indicates that Kenya hit the third-highest teen pregnancy rate with 82 births per 1,000 births we have also seen a 35 per cent increase in new HIV infections among young people (15-24), Homa Bay contributing 13 per cent to those infections according to Unesco.
With high population numbers, young people are in a position to leverage politicians’ promises and be more proactive and intentional while interrogating how relevant these promises are according to the time, how these promises will be achieved, and what will be the effect while trying to achieve them.
This is one of the many ways young people will change the course of leadership after elections and put them in a position to not only provide sustainable quality health conditions for themselves but also for the people that will be depending on them.
Assistant communications officer-Centre for the Study of Adolescence
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
