| dc.description.abstract | This study examines the role played by the youth in 2007 post-election violence. While in all past politically instigated and electoral induced ethnic clashes, the youth were condemned for perpetrating violence as ethnic warriors, what is less acknowledged is the fact that the youth were condemned, and still are the biggest victims and casualties. The majority of those who died, for instance, have been young people. While many reports concede that electoral violence is rampant in Kenya, there is little knowledge on the nature and extent of youth involvement in electoral violence beyond the fact that, invariably, the youth are the one social group that is most visibly engaged and used to penetrate and spread violence.
It is for the purpose of unravelling this apparent dilemma that the researcher undertook to study the patterns, extent, character and form of youth involvement in electoral violence. The study was guided by two questions; what was the role played by the youth in the post election violence in Kenya? What measures can society undertake in order to curtail this vice? The study contends that the youth participation in the violence that erupted following the disputed December 2007 General Elections had its foundation in the role of the youth and especially the unemployed ones. The involvement of the youth in Kenyan politics can be categorized into legitimate and illegitimate roles. The legitimate role includes their participation as candidates, voters, poll agents, campaigners for various candidates and political parties. The illegitimate participation involves bribery, intimidation, obstruction and violence.
Both primary and secondary data was widely used, including text books, academic journals and newspapers, supplemented with Kenya Government documents. For theoretical underpinnings and actual appreciation of reality, academic materials and interviews with actors were conducted. The study recommends, among other measures that the Ministry of Education should broaden the curriculum to encourage excellence in non-conventional fields of learning such as dance and gymnastics. Such a curriculum should provide training and policy guidelines on inter-ethnic issues to teachers (who are among the first to interact with the youth) and other actors who have an important role in molding the youth. This is in order to avoid recurrence of political violence in future. | |
