In 2024, a wave of protests led by Kenya's Gen Z had swept the country. Now, ahead next year's general election, Gen Z is mobilizing again. This time with an initiative aiming to get young people registered to vote.

Nairobi

Kenya's youth, particularly those involved in the previous Gen Z protests, are now focusing their efforts on voter registration through the Nikokadi Initiative. This movement aims to channel the desire for change into the ballot box for the 2027 elections, following deadly clashes in 2024 that left 65 demonstrators dead.

The Nikokadi campaign, which started as a TikTok challenge, has grown into a nationwide effort to register up to 6 million young voters. With young people under 35 making up 75% of the population but only 6% of elected officials, organizers and supporters believe increased youth participation is crucial to changing Kenya's governance.

Kenya's Gen Z mobilizes to make voter registration fun

Kenya's youth are back on the streets, and each of them has a simple message. I have my card ready. Most of them were part of last year's Gen Z's uprising. They say the protests didn't deliver, but they're still determined to change the way the nation is governed, this time using the voters' card. I am here because of my future and the future of Kenya. The future of Kenya is in my votes, the future of Kenya is in 2027 in the ballot, and that's why I'm here. Many youths don't have voters' cards, and we want people to get voters' cards to decide in 2027. We want youths to be there, rather than us being misused, we want to take this leadership. This is the last chance the young people are giving democracy. If democracy doesn't work next year, we will never believe in democracy again. So it is important that if it is the last time, we need to go full throttle. That's why it's important. Photojournalist Allan Sademba founded the Nikokadi Initiative. He took part in the 2024 Gen Z protests, which saw demonstrators occupy downtown Nairobi and storm the Kenyan parliament. 65 of them were killed in clashes with police before the government backed down. Sademba says he's determined their sacrifice will echo at the ballot box. There's a revolution by the bullet, and there's a silent revolution. We're just going to cast our vote. In 2024-2025, we lost a lot of young Kenyans who could have actually casted their vote come 2027. And now we don't want to lose more lives. We want to go to the ballot and demonstrate by casting our votes, by voting out the bad leaders that have taken us to the streets and have caused the death of the young fellows. The prospect of young people massing to the ballot box has shaken top politicians. Kenya's president had this to say. I also want to say I am ready, and Tukokadi, if you want that, we have the cards ready. The numbers are stark. Young people under the age of 35 make up to 75% of Kenya's population. But right now, only 6% of Kenya's elected representatives are under 35. It's an injustice that the Nikokadi organizers want to rectify by registering more young voters. What began as a simple TikTok challenge, registering with your friends and posting it online, has transformed into a nationwide organic push aimed at mobilizing up to 6 million young voters. The organizers are conducting grassroots mobilization to meet these targets. Crystal Asige, a nominated senator in the Kenyan parliament, joined the grassroots mobilization drive to get young people to vote. She says the time is now when no one in the society should be left behind. This is a voter bloc that cannot be ignored, and I think that they're proving that point. And the reason why they should come out in strong numbers is to make the change that they want to see. Young people, young people with disabilities, women, every single demographic needs to be out here in their numbers to do their duty. Peter Joffrey knows he only has one vote, and he's determined to use it. Nikokadi and the Gen Z uprising have convinced him to register. The 25-year-old always felt a disconnect from politics in the past, but says he cannot sit on the sidelines anymore. There are no jobs. I know there are a million people like me who are jobless. I feel like if you register as a voter, I register as a voter, we are going to collect the numbers and change the game. This is purely personal. I'm not doing this for politics. We want the right leader. For Peter and Alan Sademba, the message of Nikokadi is simple. We want to see a change in the governance system. We have our cards.

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