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PRESS STATEMENT

Since the campaigns for this year's General Elections started in earnest, the mainstream political parties have engaged the youths of this country in a variety of activities meant to drum up support for their presidential candidates. However, this exercise is increasingly amounting to abuse and misuse of the young people at the expense of national values and policy. The recent political campaign activities in which the government has involved the youth ministry is a clear manifestation of how national youth policy can be flagrantly abused in favour of government friendly parties, like the PNU. Skewed or biased distribution of national resources has been a matter of national concern in this country, particularly when it is left to affect a large section of the youth population that deserves proper government attention.

The youth from the Kenyan opposition have been infuriated by the relationship between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the Kenyan youth. We have observed even how the Youth Enterprise Development Fund meant for all the Kenyan youths, is being disbursed in favour of government friendly youth organizations at the exclusion of youth organizations affiliated to the opposition parties. This raises the serious question as to the agenda behind the formation of the youth ministry. As a public body, the ministry cannot be allowed to exist just to serve the partisan interest of youth lobbies affiliated to the PNU. It is utterly unacceptable.

Against this scenario and background, young leaders from different opposition parties have come together to voice concerns. We are challenging the government's move in turning national policy agenda to favour a section of the youth population to serve political expediency. It is for this reason that we called this press conference to announce the formation of a broad based coalition of youth movements from within the country's opposition parties that will now be articulating issues affecting the Kenyan youth, particularly with regard to policy direction and implementation at this time of electioneering.

We therefore demand to know;

1. The agenda behind the formation of the youth ministry

2. The role of the ministry and ministry officials including the PS in the Vijana Na Kibaki campaign

3. The source of the Ksh25 million that was used to mobilize the youth across the country for the Sunday Rally, and

4. The ministry which should be serving the interest of other Kenyan youth affiliated to the opposition

5. The report from the government on the extra judicial killings of over 500 innocent young people over the last 5 months, murdered and their mutilated bodies dumped in forests and rivers across the country. We are not going to sit back and watch as our country degenerate into a Police State.

We are thus giving the government a duration of 5 days, up to the 3 ^rd of December, to respond to these issues, failure to which we shall call for a National Youth Demonstration to protest against these injustices on the 7^th of December 2007

We therefore call upon the Kenyan youths to be more vigilant in the way they relate with politicians at this time of elections, lest we remain perpetually consigned to the periphery of the country's decision making arena through alienation. We urge them to be part of this progressive force that seeks to promote the interests of the Kenyan youth. They should get bold in rejecting any moves that have the potential to undermine the legitimate rights of young people to equal treatment by the government.

Signed in Nairobi this 28^th day of November, 2007 by:

Tom H. O. Appolo__________________________ National Chairman, ODM-K Youth League

Anthony Kibagendi _________________________ National Chairman, VIPA Party

Susan Mang'eni _________________________ ODM Youth Leader

Akelo nyar Kager, jaluo@jaluo.com

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