The Kenyan youth have been challenged to sustain the momentum to institutionalise constitutional advocacy and actively shape governance as the country prepares for the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Speaking during the third annual Katiba Day celebration marking the 16th anniversary of 2010, Sandra Ochola, a constitutional advocate, emphasized that the core challenge facing the younger generation is moving past mere constitutional literacy into functional application.
“We are no longer asking whether young people can speak the language of the Constitution,” said Ochola. “We are asking a bigger question: now that they can speak the language of the Constitution, what are we going to do with it?”
Organised in partnership with the Youth Congress, Alliance Française, Katiba Institute, and other civil society groups, the event highlighted the intersection of digital activism, civic education, and the arts.
Panellists noted that the 2024 anti-finance bill demonstrations awakened a deep public interest in national accountability, fiscal transparency, and systemic governance.
Innovator Ellen Kawila, creator of the real-time “Kenya Debt Clock” software, stressed that economic awareness is essential for citizen empowerment.
“Public debt was also something Kenyan citizens did not know,” Kawila noted, explaining how data tracking helps ordinary taxpayers monitor government borrowing and expenditures.
Civic actors underscored that true constitutional engagement requires long-term institutional tracking rather than isolated demonstrations.
Youth governance advocates pointed out the necessity of documenting priorities and creating accountability systems to evaluate political commitments.
Civic organiser Allans Ademba championed voter registration initiatives, famously declaring that a registered voter will always be better than an unregistered protester.
The evening also featured the prestigious Katiba Roll of Honour, celebrating six standout champions across law, journalism, technology, and the arts.
Among the posthumous and live honorees were veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho, anti-femicide campaigner Njeri Migwi, musician Bien-Aimé Baraza, debt-tracking innovator Ellen Kawila, voter mobilization champion Allans Ademba, and the late reformist statesman Nzamba Kitonga’s legacy through posthumous recognition of public intellectual Zane Mbaka.
Accepting his award, veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho warned against complacency, cautioning that emerging legislative pressures threaten hard-won democratic spaces.
“To be awarded by the youth, I think, is the highlight for me,” Gaitho remarked.
Stakeholders concluded that translating constitutional principles into everyday governance requires active participation in policy-making, institutional reform, and strategic voting ahead of the 2027 general elections.
By Phaeline Motari
