Youth leaders demand NYC polls postponement over voter education, portal failures

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 1 – Youth leaders from across Kenya have demanded the postponement of National Youth Council (NYC) elections, citing cancelled voter education sessions, portal failures and low registration ahead of ward-level voting scheduled for October 9.

The caucus, comprising ward and county youth representatives, student leaders, youth-led organisations and election aspirants, said voter education sessions scheduled in Eldoret, Nakuru, Kisumu and other regions were abruptly cancelled on the final day of voter registration.

“Civic education is the foundation of any credible election,” the leaders said, arguing that the cancellations had left some young people without adequate information about the Council and the electoral process.

They said the situation was particularly concerning because NYC election regulations require the Secretariat to conduct voter education countrywide, with the exercise commencing at least 60 days before elections.

The leaders also cited low participation, saying only about 207,000 young people had registered by the close of voter registration against an estimated youth population of 15 million.

“More than 98 out of every 100 young Kenyans will have no say in choosing the leaders who claim to speak for them,” the caucus said, describing the registration figures as inadequate for a representative process.

The official NYC portal confirms that voter registration closed on September 30, ahead of ward elections on October 9, constituency elections on October 16 and the National Youth Congress elections on October 30.

The caucus further alleged that the elections portal experienced sustained delays on the final day of registration and nominations, leaving some registrations marked “Awaiting Approval” and preventing affected aspirants from securing the required nominations.

“They did not fail for lack of support; they were failed by the system,” the leaders said, demanding the immediate clearance of all pending voter registration approvals and an extension of the registration and nomination periods.

They also called for aspirants affected by the reported system delays to be given further opportunity to meet nomination requirements.

The leaders further demanded the vetting of aspirants following what they described as credible reports that political party officials and individuals seeking elective office in 2027 were participating in the NYC process.

NYC election rules bar political party officials from contesting in the elections, alongside members of election steering committees and other specified categories.

“The National Youth Council must be non-partisan if it is to represent all young Kenyans, whatever their political affiliation,” the caucus said.

The youth leaders consequently want voter education reinstated across all regions, pending registrations cleared, registration and nominations extended and the elections postponed to allow what they termed adequate preparation and genuine participation.

They gave the Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and the acting NYC Chief Executive Officer 48 hours to publicly respond to the demands, threatening to seek intervention from the High Court if no action is taken.

“We would much rather resolve this through dialogue, but we will not stand by while an election that excludes the very people it is meant to represent is pushed through,” they said.

The October elections follow an earlier postponement of polls initially scheduled for July, with outstanding voter education and other legal and operational requirements among the reasons cited for the delay.