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Kenya saw a decline in the number of young people who registered to vote in the August 2022 elections. This group’s share of the 12.1 million registered voters dropped by 5.27% compared to 2017.
The youth, aged between 18 and 35, made up about 40% of those who were registered to vote this year.
The numbers have led to questions being asked about why young people stayed away from the polls. And what the implications are for democracy in the country.
The fall in registration among young people reflected a wider pattern of voter apathy among Kenyans. In the run-up to the 2022 election, the country’s electoral agency added just 2.5 million voters to the register, against a target of six million. This included those who had turned 18 since the country’s last census in 2019. Between the 2013 and 2017 elections, the agency added 5.2 million voters.
Additionally, this year’s election saw a drop in overall turnout at 64.6%. Kenya’s past two elections under the 2010 constitution registered higher figures – 78% in August 2017 and 86% in March 2013.
But the absence of more young people is the biggest concern because it could affect the country’s democratic trajectory in the years ahead.
Kenya’s demographic profile is heavily skewed to a younger population. Kenyans aged 35 and below make up 75% of the population. Those aged between 18 and 35 make up 29% of the population. The fact that they don’t feel the urge to vote is cause for concern.
As governance researcher Anne Cizmar puts it:
The potential problem with low voter turnout is that the government may be more responsive to citizens who regularly vote. This can lead to bias in the legislation that is passed.
When voters refuse to exercise their national duty, it increases the likelihood of the few who do show up pursuing narrow interests. This can lead to political extremism.
The excluded voters could then use violent means to be heard, from joining gangs to participating in terrorist activity.
Read more: https://theconversation.com/why-youth-apathy-in-elections-bodes-ill-for-kenya-188662