general reluctance to register as voters in kenya-2017
with the oncoming general elections in Kenya, registration as a voter has been one of the things emphasized by any politician and any other great- full Kenyan. turn out to register as voters by Kenyans has failed to meet the expectation of most politicians and the IEBC commission. though it is a personal responsibility to register both as a Kenyan citizen and later as a voter, many people have lacked the drive to do these two crucial activities.
there has been an atmosphere of unwillingness to own the country by most Kenyans. they therefore cannot see the importance of having such essential documents as; birth certificate, the national identity cards nor voters card. many ID cards are said to be in the administrators offices without the owners picking them.
rushing in the last minute when one is in need of such documents has also been a popular trend among Kenyans. many people register to take their national identity card only when they have found a job opportunity which requires them to posses an identity card.
this lack of interest has been attributed to different factors as:
i) lack of motivation: many young Kenyans have been disillusioned by existing systems. they deem the systems of education, governance, job sector and the general society as passive and hence are not part of such systems. intrinsic motivation which could also be a product of interaction with the environment has also not been nurtured.
ii) information: though the present generation seems knowledgeable to a high degree and rich of information, there is a general void of constructive information that spearheads the values an individual should hold towards his/her country. through their interaction on social media and other avenues, they seem to be talking of;
' Kenyan education is too hard to bear' instead of ' education that myself have gone through seems hard for me and other fellows.'
this shows how they trust not in the benefit there inn education nor the fact that education was of their help.
iii) involvement: the desire of most young people is to experience their desire and inputs being considered. government, educators and the general society have in the past acted in a way that hindered these desires to be realized. independence was thus not allowed, always the growing individual developed a search for freedom and a fight against all inhibiting forces to realizing personal will. when their decisions didn't count they either fought or withdrawn from the tag. this is the case that have happened in politics where today they need only the money that careless leaders bring to them in times of campaign and cannot avail themselves even to cast votes.
iv) change in values due to time: every generation has its own aspiration(s) which majority of members in such a group pursue. in a case such as that of a period after independence from colonialism, the general atmosphere moved people towards rebuilding their countries. values such as unity of purpose and honest were highly esteemed and upheld.
later with most leaders in post colonial era engaging in incidences of graft, lack of respect to fellow citizens, and even unequal distribution of resources. people at such time developed a spirit of liberation from the limiting leaders of the time and their governance. elites at this stage who included mostly youths who had gained educational opportunities in the free countries joined together to call for sanity among leaders.
in the present technological era, vast majority of the young population prefer socialising than even developing individual capacities. they may take long hours on chatting more than in work or studies. formal sessions such as meetings, conferences, or monitored study sessions are deemed difficult and to an extent limiting.
effect of repulsion complex among the youths
lack of good interrelationship between the youths and other members and institutions in the society have far reaching consequences both to the individual and the society. such problems arising from this division include;
conflict with the law: With such increased load of essential documents in the hands of law enforcement agencies, we cannot fail to experience the danger that arises when one is arrested in such places as clubs or at odd hours of the night without such verification documents. these people end up being harassed just due to the fact that they cannot be able to prove innocence nor viable for such incidences.
loss of opportunities: with some job opportunities regarding the possession of an identity card essential which many youths do not have, they end up losing such life long opportunities.
lack of full participation in national building: with such inability to secure jobs, start up businesses, get loans from financial institutions have made majority of able youth not to constructively engage in income generating schemes. many are forced to join the informal sector where little or no restrictions are followed.
effect of this general reaction towards systems by youths has a paramount effect to any country and solutions should be given. the government should engage youths in all its plans to ensure they feel secure. education offered should be utilitarian, flexible and accommodating to allow the young develop a positive attitude towards it. psychological help is also necessary to rebuilding the fabric of an ideal youth who society expects.
stakeholders should shun pointing fingers but otherwise bring all their minds together towards a lasting solution.
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