Young Kenyans, make your voices be heard

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” These empowering words were spoken by Pakistani women’s and human rights activist Malala Yousafzai. Now a student at Oxford University, Malala came from humble beginnings.

Growing up in a rural village in Pakistan, Malala’s options as a young girl were limited. Her family, and wider society, expected her to stop attending school before completing high school, to get married young, and spend most of her days at home.

A decade ago in Pakistan, with the Taliban at its height, young women who sought higher education were, and still are, seen as a threat to an oppressive religious society. Young girls like Malala had a certain set of rules imposed upon them that they were supposed to follow.

But not her. After a gruesome attack in which members of the Taliban threw acid at her on her way to school, Malala decided to fight back. As a youth, and as a female, her voice was not frequently represented in the social discourse. But that’s what made it so important.

While all others were silent, while all others accepted the abuses, she chose to stand up and confront it. While she lived under literal constant threat to her life, she served as a voice for others in her position, others who were either too scared or too indifferent to speak up. And that made all the difference.

Now, the plight of young women in Pakistan is known the world over, and previous norms are no longer tolerated. The status quo in her home country has begun to shift from one of resigned acceptance to one of thoughtful persistence.

This is the kind of example that youth all over the world should be following, especially us young Kenyans. Silence sometimes speaks louder than words.

The silence that I hear around me as a young person in Kenya is also one of resigned acceptance, the same kind of silence that Malala felt years ago, before she decided to take a stand. When my peers are not speaking out against the ills of our society, it seems obvious that those in power will take advantage of it.

They will keep using our silence against us. They will keep using it to oppress us, unless we speak up. Because in the midst of a sea of silence, even a single voice will be carried far by the wind.

And that is why it is important for us to begin talking more about what is important to us, about the kinds of changes we want to see happening in our country as we grow old - the kind of changes that we want our generation to be remembered by.

The most important issue on our national agenda under Uhuru’s presidency - apart from Covid-19 right now - has been corruption.

And while his anti-corruption campaign is sincere and progressive, it is not enough for us to just sit back and expect for it to make a big change. We have to begin demanding it as well.

From county governors. From cabinet secretaries. From members of parliament.

Anyone who holds a position of leadership and has the power to abuse it for corrupt means should be put under the spotlight and examined in the public eye.

We cannot expect for these corrupt individuals to be put to justice if time and time again they are investigated and then set free, if they are marred in graft but never convicted as guilty in a court of law.

But that is what will continue to happen if we fail to use our voices to demand justice. Our nation as a whole has been silent about corruption for far too long. Though we all know it exists, and we have all known for a long time, Uhuru is the first Kenyan leader to truly work to stop it.

The first step has already been taken. Now each of us as individuals needs to take a step back and think about the issues that are important to us. Is living in a fairer society important to you? In a place where your rights are not violated no matter your wealth or status?

A country of equal opportunity and fair share?

Then there is no better time to make your voice heard.