What Babu, Salasya and Nyoro owe the youth

Embakasi East lawmaker Babu Owino, Mumias East’s Peter Salasya and Ndindi Nyoro of Kiharu are perhaps the most-talked-about youthful members of the 13th Parliament.

On Wednesday, a pollster ranked them among the few MPs who outdid themselves in 2024. I have no clue what the opinion survey sought to achieve, but I’ve no reason to doubt it either.

Certainly, these MPs serve their popularity in different flavours. Let’s start with Mr Babu. Two weeks ago, the ‘Tibim’ sensation made news with a claim that he was denied entry into Tanzania. He raised rumpus online and penned a protest note to President Samia Suluhu.

According to him, Tanzanian authorities confiscated his passport and blacklisted him as persona non grata. His agony at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar came few weeks after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni publicly mocked him as an overrated troublemaker.

.

Keep Reading business

•  Troubled Uchumi's creditors to know fate of their billions
•  Why tourism is Kenya's best bet to accelerate economic growth
•  BAT to pay Sh50 dividend despite 19pc profit dip
•  Appetite for Kenya's 'green gold' spawns new crop of millionaires Premium
•  Policy Statement promises nothing unusual in CS Mbadi's first Budget Premium

Then we have Mr Salasya, the rough-haired showstopper. He’s Kenya Kwanza administration’s new thorn in the flesh.

During President William Ruto’s tour of Western region last month, he questioned, without qualms, the viability of several multi-billion shillings State programmes.

“Mr President, I should be your advisor because your people aren’t telling you the truth. The Social Health Authority (SHA) isn’t working,” he told President Ruto, a PhD holder, to his face following growing public frustrations with the health insurance scheme.

Moments later, the MP alleged being intimidated. “I was warned that with only two years in politics, I know nothing.

But it’s clear they don’t want to listen when we try to address real issues affecting Kenyans,” Mr Salasya said of a dress-down by the president. Come this week when MPs locked horns over which party is majority, he went on a live-stream mode in the Chambers, phone in hand.

Theorists say politics is a battlefield of words and egos. For Mr Nyoro, he has since parted ways with mainstream politics.

Once a fierce government defender, he’s retreated big time and is now mostly seen launching CDF-funded projects in Kiharu, featured in prime-time television adverts.

The man who once urged Kenyans to abandon the Constitution because ‘we are Africans and Africa is our business’ now stares at an identity crisis within Kenya Kwanza. Is he a Ruto supporter or detractor? But because Mt Kenya has become slippery, Mr Nyoro could be ‘listening’ to the ground.

For the record, the current Parliament has many worthy young legislators like Ms Njeri Maina, Ms Cynthia Muge, Mr Johnpaul Mwirigi, Ms Linet Toto among others but you will agree that Mr Nyoro, Mr Babu and Mr Salasya are arguably the face of them all.

My rhetorical questions are: Have they demonstrated the full potential of youth leadership?

Being the most known youthful lawmakers, have they fully advanced young Kenyans’ legislative aspirations? To what extent have they strengthened youth leagues in their parties? How about lobbying to have nomination rules amended to ensure more under 35s get into elective seats?

Desmond Tutu said ‘young people are dreamers. They dream of a better world, and because they dream, they must make things happen.’ He is my two cents – young leaders must position themselves for bigger roles in 2027 and beyond. Mr Nyoro, Mr Salasya and Mr Babu have excelled yes, but they must tell us how they will set a legacy of substance beyond drama, scheming and ranking by pollsters.

Let these patriots expand civic engagement, champion inclusivity and transform the youth into a force. For years, Kenyans have barely noticed the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association despite its ‘roadmap’ to youth empowerment. Talk of zero impact! This is the time to revisit Ruto’s Youth Charter of 2022.

With collective conscience, our youth have huge prospects but must prove their mettle in resilience. It’s the missing link.

Kenya yearns for its version of Sanna Marin of Finland, who became the world’s youngest prime minister at 34. Her tenure led to a powerful renaissance. Our youth must quickly turn the tide.  

-The writer is a communications practitioner.