KUSO chair Babu Owino wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to reconsider his parastatal appointments. (Photo/http://www.kenyadigest.com)
Student leaders drawn from several of Kenya’s universities have given President Uhuru Kenyatta 3 days to reconsider his decision to appoint seasoned politicians to parastatal positions announced on Monday. Speaking under the umbrella of the Kenya University Students Organisation (KUSO), the student leaders argued that Kenya’s youth deserve at least 20 positions from the 302 announced earlier this week.
University students say youth left out in parastatal jobs appointments http://t.co/rl7S1k1YmR#Kenya#Africa
— AfricaMediaNetwork (@AfricaMedia54) April 29, 2015
Led by KUSO chair Babu Owino, the group said that they would organize demonstrations to remove the appointed individuals from office if President Kenyatta doesn’t comply with their demands. One KUSO member Charles Juma also appealed to the appointed individuals to show mercy on the youth and refuse the appointments.
“To the appointees, be merciful and reject these appointment by saying: ‘We have served for many years; give this to the youth,’” he told the Daily Nation.
LOL Babu owino KUSO chairman has given His excellency president Uhuru Kenyatta 72 hours to reconsider his appointments for parastatals heads
— Sir Rap-A-Lot (@_Oteraw) April 29, 2015
These appointments has rubbed kenyans the wrong way,even the most senseless got disapointed.Good #BabuOwino @BenOgola — kiztv7 (@kiztv7) April 29, 2015
Comrades power!!!? Babu owino on Uhuru. http://t.co/kpw6SPS98K
— Joni (@jonn4k) April 29, 2015
This development comes amid a growing debate about whether it’s actually wise to entrust the youth with the responsibility of running government bodies like parastatals.
Ichung’wa: Parastatal job appointments are not the jobs of the youths. The youths want a place where they can utilize their energies.
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) April 28, 2015
#RecycledPoliticians I pity the youth who think that being young is a qualification. These gentlemen ooze experience a key requirement 4 bd — Karoki Ndirangu (@Karoki3) April 28, 2015
the jobs require wealth of experience not some random youth who grew up watching telitubbies.the #RecycledPoliticians ar best fit 4 the jobs
— Kinyatti Ng’ang’a (@Kinyatti_N) April 28, 2015
Others like former KISS FM radio presenter Caroline Mutoko feel the youth in Kenya only have themselves to blame for missing out on the parastatal appointments by not putting themselves out there enough.
Mutoko is partly right. The youth should blame themselves but not for the reason she is suggesting. The youth should blame themselves for allowing petty differences like tribe to divide them every election instead of keeping an open mind and voting for the candidate who would fight for their interests. Uhuru talked a good game when campaigning for the presidency in 2013. His actions however show that he is interested in maintaining the same old “kazi kwa vijana, pesa kwa wazee” status quo that has left the youth despondent.