Increasing youth participation in the electoral processes of Kenya

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya is mandated to conduct voter education under Article 88(4)(g) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The full implementation of this mandate has been challenging following the gradual decrease in the citizenry trust in the electoral processes ever since independence. The credibility of elections has since then been a delicate and unaddressed issue. To the general youthful population in Kenya, the vote has been considered ritualistic with no transformation value. More often than not, this has resulted in voter apathy among the young people. To mitigate this challenge, IFES Kenya voter education assessment in June 2015 proposed voter education and registration in tertiary institutions especially targeting younger women. In the effort to fully involve young people in the electoral process, Universities and Colleges Students' Peace Association of Kenya in Partnership with IFES- Kenya carried out the Changamka Program in order to increase youth participation in the electoral processes in Kenya.