Youth at the Centre: Omanyo Urges Politicians to Stop Using Young Kenyans as Political Tools
By Emmanuel Jumaah
Kenya’s political landscape is once again raising questions about accountability, human rights, and the role of young people in political unrest.
ODM Secretary-General Catherine Omanyo has dismissed calls by some opposition leaders for the International Criminal Court, ICC, to intervene over allegations of extrajudicial killings in Kenya.
Omanyo says the pursuit of justice should be guided by evidence and the law rather than political interests. She argues that those calling for international investigations must also be prepared to face scrutiny if evidence emerges, linking them to the alleged violations.
Her position comes amid a growing debate over how allegations of human rights abuses should be handled. Omanyo says such claims must be investigated fairly and transparently, with accountability applying to everyone involved, regardless of their political affiliation.
"I hear some people barking for the ICC to come to Kenya over alleged killings by leaders. I say, let the ICC come very fast. Those shouting the loudest are the ones causing chaos — they use our youth for violence and then cry for the ICC. If the ICC comes, let them be investigated first. If there are violations, let investigations be fair and unbiased, but don't use international courts as a political weapon." ~ Catherine Omanyo
She has also cautioned politicians against turning international institutions into political weapons, saying justice should not be selective or driven by the interests of one side of the political divide.
Omanyo has also raised concern over the way young people are drawn into political conflicts, particularly during periods of heightened tension, saying some politicians mobilise young people when they need numbers on the streets but distance themselves from them when the situation turns difficult. In some cases, she says the same youth are later labelled as “goons” when politicians come under pressure to explain the unrest.
She is calling for an end to what she describes as the political exploitation of Kenya’s youth.
Instead, Omanyo says young people should be given opportunities to earn a living, build businesses, and participate meaningfully in the economy.
"Stop using our youth as political tools. They need jobs and empowerment, not to be used, dumped, and then branded as criminals and goons."*
Her message is a call for a shift in Kenya’s political culture — from using young people as instruments of political confrontation to investing in them as partners in the country’s future.
Because beyond the political rhetoric and competing interests, it is often the young people who are left to bear the consequences when political tensions boil over.
