As the call for youth inclusion and gender equity grows louder across Africa, young women in Kenya are organizing, mobilizing, and stepping into political spaces long closed off to them. At a political forum hosted by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) in Nairobi, student leaders demanded action, not promises—echoing a continent-wide push for meaningful affirmative action, intergenerational leadership, and a future shaped by those who will live it.

Young women from several Kenyan universities met with Nairobi Senator and Orange Democratic Movement Party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Saturday, July 19, at the ODM party headquarters in Lavington to discuss their role in politics and leadership.

The event was organized by Young Captains, a youth-focused arm of the ODM Women League, which works to mobilize and empower young women to actively participate in governance. Participants included university students from the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), and Pan Africa Christian (PAC) University.

 

Sifuna, who led the engagement, challenged the attendees to step into leadership spaces and stop waiting to be invited.

“Young people must start making decisions about their own future,” he said. “You cannot leave this to people who do not understand your struggles.”

He recalled his own involvement in Kenya’s second liberation, noting that at 20 years old, he joined other youth to protest the oppressive regime of former President Daniel arap Moi.

“I was one of those in the streets singing Yote Yawezekana Bila Moi. That is how change started,” he said.

The senator criticized senior political figures who sign long-term national contracts, including privatization deals, without consulting younger generations who will live with the consequences. Citing the dropped Adani airport privatization deal and ongoing threats to Nairobi National Park by private developers, he said such decisions reflect poor foresight.

“These are contracts running 30 or 50 years. Most of those signing them won’t be here when they expire,” Sifuna said. “These discussions must involve the people who will deal with the outcome.”

 

He emphasized the need for young people to build networks and structures to help them ascend to leadership positions. Reflecting on his own campaign, Sifuna said he spent less money because he had a reliable support system that believed in him.

“You don’t need millions. You need strategy, people, and networks. Start where you are,” he said.

The senator also spoke on recent youth-led protests against the Finance Bill 2024, the June 25, 2025 protests and Saba Saba protests and the government’s heavy-handed response. He condemned police brutality and President William Ruto’s controversial “shoot them in the leg” directive to security agencies, saying the government should not use fear to manage dissent.

“Bullet wounds are a sight you do not want to see,” Sifuna said. “You cannot lead a country where every response is a threat.”

Sifuna said ODM had entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kenya Kwanza administration in hopes of ending human rights violations and killings of unarmed citizens. However, he indicated the opposition party was monitoring the situation closely amid growing frustration among youth.

He urged the young women to join political parties and abandon the “partyless” and “tribeless” mentality that has left many youth politically homeless.

“Politics is the vehicle for change. If you’re not in a party, you’re not in the fight,” he said. “ODM is open to young people. We will not only give you space—we will support you.”

He cited a partnership between ODM and Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which has enabled the party to pay nomination fees for youth and women without the financial means to run for office.

“We want more young women in parliament, and we are ready to walk with you,” he said.

The students raised various concerns during the meeting, including the increased cost of accommodation at the University of Nairobi, which has reportedly risen to over KSh 40,000. Sifuna, an alumnus of UoN, criticized the fee hike, noting that students paid only KSh 6,000 during his time.

“Public universities must remain affordable. We cannot price out young people from education,” he said.

The meeting also addressed the issue of youth exclusion in decision-making, with Sifuna endorsing the Intergenerational Conclave proposed by ODM party leader Raila Odinga. The idea aims to establish structured dialogue between young and older leaders on governance, policy, and leadership succession.

 

Young Captains members expressed interest in formal political participation and party-based organizing.

“We cannot continue to be partyless and tribeless,” said Alionya Roseline, a student. “We need to join a party, and specifically this one.”

Another participant, Kimberly Grace from the University of Nairobi, said the ODM platform had offered them a sense of belonging. “We found a home here,” she said.

Sifuna concluded by urging the attendees to be bold, informed, and relentless in their pursuit of leadership, emphasizing that the current moment requires courage.

“We will respect your struggles. Just don’t sit out the fight,” he said.