NYC IV: BOMAS DECLARATIONS EXTRA ORDINARY SESSION OF THE National Youth Convention [NYC IV]
Sep 30th, 2008 by Mars Group Kenya
NYC IV: BOMAS DECLARATIONS
EXTRA ORDINARY SESSION OF THE
National Youth Convention [NYC IV]
Vijanaa Tujipange
September 20th 2008
Rebuilding our Nation… Reconciling Our Communities
“The Challenges and Prospects for Young Kenyans”
We, the young women and men from all provinces and diverse backgrounds of the Kenyan nation convened at the extraordinary session of the National Youth Convention (NYC IV) at the Bomas of Kenya from 18th to 20th September 2008:
Recognize the heroes and heroines of Kenya’s struggles for independence; for democratic struggles since 1963, and those who lost their lives in the struggle against injustice resulting from the fraudulent General Elections in December 2007.
We reject the political, economic, social and cultural system under an undemocratic state that has been in force in Kenya since independence which has led to massive inequality, inter-ethnic and community conflicts and poverty in Kenya.
We demand for a transformation of the system to ensure that the rights of every Kenyan are guaranteed and protected.
We demand for a break with the past and a new way to do things in this country.
WE FURTHER DECLARE AS FOLLOWS
1. NYC PROCESS AS THE FORUM AND MOVEMENT OF PATRIOTIC YOUTH OF KENYA.
That we Establish the National Youth Convention as our legitimate forum for consensus building and agenda setting and strategy building for the transformation of Kenya into a democratic, just and prosperous nation
1.1 We shall establish a democratic and progressive youth-led transformation Movement in Kenya that shall work with women, persons with disabilities, trade unions, democratically minded professionals, special interest groups and progressive religious leaders, pro-change political leaders.
1.2 NYC shall work with local and international organizations and forums that shall promote the emancipation of the youth and the Kenyan nation.
2. A NEW DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION BY THE PEOPLE FOR A PEACEFUL PROSPEROUS KENYA
The NYC IV demands an all Inclusive, participatory and democratic constitutional making process. We the young people who constitute the majority of our nation and who shall be governed under the forth-coming constitution must fully participate in the making of that constitution.
2.1 We demand that the review process must have a representative organ that shall be representative of all interest groups of Kenyans in constitution. This forum shall be responsible for the negotiating and drafting of a new constitution. A committee of experts should be assigned to the Multi-sectoral forum to facilitate the drafting of the final constitutional proposal.
2.2 We demand that our country must first and foremost begin from setting out of the constitutional principles to benchmark the new constitution.
2.3 The referendum for the people of Kenya to ratify the new constitution must be a YES-YES referendum.
2.4 The youth must be in all the review organs to substantively make inputs and ensure that the Constitution that comes out of the process is youth friendly and pro-people.
3. REVIEWING THE NATIONAL ACCORD AND CONSEQUENTIAL DECLARATIONS
We declare that while the National Accord and reconciliation agreements helped to halt violent eruptions and breakdown of law and order in Kenya; the framework is anti-people, anti-youth and not accountable. The national accord and reconciliation framework must be reconfigured so that it is youth centered
and pro-people
3.1 We call for the radical overhaul of the national budgeting principles so that at least 60% of the budget is allocated to the development projects and the rest to the recurrent expenditure.
3.2 The youth of Kenya call for comprehensive debt relief and in particular all for the immediate cancellation of identifiably corrupt debt [Such the Ken Ren Fertilizer debts and the Anglo-leasing debts]. We demand for the immediate cleaning of the external public Debt register to relieve Kenyans from the burden
of continuing to pay corrupt debts which should be declared odious. We call upon the international to pressure the Kenyan government to clean the debt register. The international community should provide to the people of Kenya and the government technical and legal assistance in this regard. Each year the Debt
register should be made public.
3.3 We demand that National Social and Economic Council comprise at least 40% Youth. A national youth Convention to select the competent representatives of the youth in the Council should be facilitated by the government.
4. DEMANDS ON THE GOVERNMENT BY YOUNG PEOPLE OF KENYA
We declare that the government formed under the National Accord framework is anti-people, corrupt and wasteful. The Young people of Kenya shall work with all other democratic forces to ensure that Kenya is governed by a clean, lean, just, accountable and responsive government; We here and now as the youth of Kenya declare that we shall not deal with the Grand coalition government on a business-as-usual mode;
1) we demand the end to the killings of young Kenyans by the state
2) We demand for the immediate return of fellow citizens who were renditioned to
Ethiopia, Somalia and Guantanamo Bay. These Kenyans should be tried under
Kenyan law!
3) As intended by the National Accord agreements; we demand that the government immediately stop breaking meetings and forums convened by Kenyans, especially young people to organize and demand for a decent livelihood and access to basic needs and amenities. The civil and political rights of all Kenyans must be respected and upheld.
4) We demand for the immediate action by the government to reduce food, fuel and electricity prices to reprieve the suffering millions of Kenyans mainly the young people of Kenya are undergoing.
5) We demand for the opening up of “Vision 2030”. This plan must be reinterrogated in an open and participatory process to meet the realities of young people with a view to create a new vision for development.
6) We demand that all public officials found guilty of misuse of public offices and corruption be barred from holding any public office in the republic.
7) We demand for the immediate and meticulous implementation of the policy on disability and for the budgetary allocation focused on supporting and empowering our brothers and sisters with disabilities.
8. We demand that all men and women above the age of 55 years be immediately removed from the civil service and the management of state parastatals.
9) We demand for the immediate taking of steps towards reduction of the recurrent expenditure of Government with a corresponding increase of the development allocations in the National Budget and for the development and implementation of a comprehensive Government Policy to effect this change after consultation with youth. Reduction of recurrent expenditure should begin with cutting wasteful expenditures by Government in the National Budget including spending by the Central Government on Rents, Hospitality, Fuel, Utilities, Dometic and Foreign Travel, Vehicle Purchases, Allowances paid as part of salaries, Printing and Advertising, tax exemptions for public officers, and unjustifiably massive
expenditure on secret security related procurement.
5. NYC CALLS FOR RADICAL REFORMS TO THE POLICIES FOCUSED ON SERVING THE YOUTH OF KENYA.
5.1 We call for the immediate formulation of a blue print on job creation for the millions of unemployed Kenyan youths. We demand that this blue print be developed through a consultative Government-Youth-Stakeholder process.
5.2 NYC IV calls for the government to convene a joint working session with representatives of young people to review the draft Youth Policy and that the same be tabled to Parliament for adoption.
5.3 We call for the radical overhaul of the youth development fund from a tokenism and propaganda fund into a kitty for transformation and improvement of the status of youth. The fund should be increased from a mere Kshs. 2 billion per annum to 10% per annum of the national Budget.
5.4 We demand for the anchoring of the Ministry of Youth in the Constitution and that all its officials, from the ministers to the youth officers in the lowest level be young people
5.5 We call for a policy by the government to give the youth first priority in the allocation of unused lands, government offices, stadiums, show grounds, houses and halls for the undertaking of youth enterprise, economic development and eking of livelihoods.
5.6 We demand public assets-accountability and therefore call for the publication of all government assets registers for scrutiny by Kenyans and call upon the youth to assess the appropriateness of the use of the same assets towards development.
6. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT TO KENYA
NYC IV calls on the international community and development partners to stand with the youth of Kenya. Therefore, Development assistance and loans to Kenya MUST be youth focused – It must address the socio-economic conditions of the youth who are the ones expected to repay the loans and ultimately develop Kenya.
7. OVERHAUL THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
The Youth of Kenya declare the current content, management and system of education in Kenya to unsuitable. We call for the overhaul of the education system. We call for a progressive and relevant content of education and a new paradigm of education system management to bring to the core a significant role
of stakeholders in management of schools. We Commission the young people of Kenya to go forth and take over the management of schools and other higher institutions of learning.
8. ON THE TRUTH JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION PROCESS AND AGENDA 4
WE DEMAND A NEW TJRC BILL (2008)
The NYC IV finds the government sponsored TJRC Bill unacceptable because the framework shall not address the fundamental goals of truth, justice and the punishment of impunity. We call for a democratic and effective Truth, justice and reconciliation framework that will give justice to the victims, bring the
perpetrators to account and end impunity as a basis for reconciliation of communities and transform our systems of governance;
9. LAND, AGRARIAN AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION GOVERNANCE REFORMS DEMANDED
NYC IV recognizes that conflict and the violence among and between our communities are caused by a non-responsive and undemocratic state. We call for radical land reforms, equitable distribution of resources including employment opportunities, economic empowerment of communities especially the youth
10. ON INTERNALLY DISPLACED KENYANS
NYC IV is committed to the resolution of the recurrent conflicts that have plagued the nation leading to the phenomenon of Internal displacement and declares its support and that of all Kenyan youths in assisting the reconciliation, resettlement and conflict prevention efforts. The Youth of Kenya call for the careful and
detailed implementation of the Great Lakes Agreement on Security and development and the Protocol thereof.
11. YOUTH AMBASSADORS FOR RECONCILING COMMUNITIES
As the youth of Kenya we shall henceforth begin the work of reconciling our communities and onstituencies. We shall play the role of dialogue and peace ambassadors; we shall work to mobilize our communities to achieve conflict transformation and peace building.
12. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR NORTHERN KENYA SHOULD BE ANCHORED CONSTITUTIONALLY
NYC IV, calls for the constitutional anchorage of affirmative action for Northern Kenya. We call for a policy framework that will focus on capacity building (infrastructure, and other specialized skills), greater resource allocation, institutional building (ministry) and the repeal of all discriminative constitutional, legal and administrative systems.
13. ACTION AGAINST HATE MONGERS AND ETHNIC CHAUVINISTS
We declare all hate mongers, ethnic chauvinists and those who discriminate other Kenyans on the basis of ethnicity, religion or other social bases enemies of Kenya’s national cohesion and peaceful co-existence. We shall as the young people Monitor and bring to justice, any and all propagators of tribalism, hate
speech and all forms of violence. We shall stand against the derogative reference to any Kenya, against stereotyping and the use of hate speech;
14. ACTION AND LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NYC 4 DECLARATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS
NYC mandates youth representatives to table these declarations at local, national and international forums AND in particular to the government of Kenya. The Convention elects therefore two representatives from the 8 provinces- a young woman and a young man- who shall together with the NYC preparatory
committee shall constitute the NYC 4 working group. The Convention working group shall be responsible for the implementation of the all the declarations and resolutions reached by the Youth of Kenya at the NYC IV.
15. RESOLUTIONS STOOD DOWN FOR APPROPRIATE AMENDMENTS
15.1 Resolution on overhauling the HIV-AIDS control and management system and strategy stayed to be amended appropriately
15.2 Resolution on the unconditional release of all youths arrested during demonstrations against the controversial presidential results stayed to be amended appropriately
Signed by 1300 delegates from all provinces and diverse backgrounds of the Kenyan nation
Thats the way vijanaa, r our future. Go to it.
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