The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party is today pitching camp in Kakamega County, one of the strongholds of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The ruling party intends to engage with university and college students, in a bid to align President William Ruto’s administration with youth-centric agenda.
Hundreds of students started streaming into the Bishop Stam Pastoral Centre, the venue of the UDA Comrades Chapter – Western Edition in Kakamega Town, as early as 8 am.
This edition is part of a series of town halls that the ruling party is organising across the country, seeking to establish a robust social-political hustler movement to empower and mobilise Kenyan youth. Other town hall meetings include; Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, and Eldoret.
The party has assembled a strong team of panelist who will handle topical mini-discussions of the town hall, led by ICT Principal Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani and his counterparts Susan Mang’eni (MSMEs) and Dr Beatrice Inyangala (High Education and Research).
James Maina – Director of National Housing, Joseph Njue – Director National Employment Authority, Prof. Vincent Machuki – Presidential Council of Economic Advisors, Faith Lukosi – Director of Youth Fund and Patrick Malanga are also part of the panelists.
UDA Comrades Chapter
Launched on September 20, 2024, the chapter seeks to establish a robust social-political hustler movement to empower and mobilise youth across the country.
The initiative, UDA says, is designed to create a dynamic platform for students and young professionals to engage in political discourse, advocate for socio-economic development, and understand government policies, programs, and projects.
UDA Comrades Chapter is also geared towards creating a platform where university and college students can engage directly with the ruling political party, allowing them to share their concerns, ideas, and aspirations.
“This program aims to foster a more inclusive and participatory political approach, ensuring that the voices of young people are heard and valued,” a circular from the UDA’s Programs Department says. “Our primary Target Audience is University/College students across the country. The party’s motivation to form this youth-led entity stems from an understanding that Kenyan comrade youths face various interconnected challenges that significantly impact their well-being and prospects.”
The Kenya Kwanza Government, under the tutelage of President William Ruto, says that it is committed to tackling issues that “remain a thorn in the flesh of Kenyan youths”, including high unemployment rates, lack of school fees, political disengagement, digital divide, and cultural expectations among others.
