Rutashubanyuma
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 24, 2010
- 219,470
- 911,174
Our electoral map clearly shows the youth compromise more than 60% of eligible voters but they also trail gaffers by more than 90% in the share of senior government positions.
Any government that is formed after the general election in October this year owes her existence to the massive youth vote cast in her favour but unfortunately that is where the contribution of the youth in building their nation comes to an abrupt end.
The youth will definitely vote hoping for a government they are going to install will be sensitive to their needs but past electoral input of the youth confirms that where the youth do hold the clout to influence electoral verdict but they are seldom involved in the formation of a government.
In fact, the youth are by-standers as codgers exploit youthful decisive vote to shape a new government suffusing with anything but youthful exuberance. Where laws were hatched purposely to curb geezers from overstaying in government positions but scofflaws in the government have seen it fit to put their cronies in sensitive government positions regardless of the strictures of the law.
The sixty year age cap is often thrown to the dogs no sooner a darling of the rulers of the day signals his quest for a certain top government position. At Tanesco we saw Dr. Idrissa Rashid who was by then 62 years old being rewarded with top jobber there. And - there is unrelenting gossip - he is being groomed for a second stint there where he will be at least 65 years of age!
At East African Community, we evidenced Mr. Juma Mwapachu who was by then 64 years young being canoodled with Executive Secretary post there. He is now inches from joining a septuagenarian club.
At TBL, the law had to be upended in order to accommodate a septuagenarian as Chairman of the Board of Directors by permitting shareholders' convention to sanction his appointment as otherwise the law would have debarred Mr. Cleopa David Msuya to chair that company.
These anecdotes are by no means exception but are a general trend of this government: Exploitation of the youth vote in order to reward geezers. My intrusive review on hiring decisions in top government positions illuminates only 7% of the appointments in the last five years pampered those who were below 50 years of age with the rest i.e. 93% of summit appointments benefiting the older generation.
The cabinet membership has an average age of 58 years if you overlook junior ministers' provision, a playground for the youth. The parliament has an average age of 54 years for MPs. A club of Regional Commissioners is dominated by sexagenarians.
Chairpersons of state owned organizations bandied as parastatals and executive agencies average age there is 63! Only in low ranking dockets like Councilors where age average drops to 52 and the reason is the oldies condescend on those poorly paying nominal occupations.
Following the magic rule of "like attracts like" it is small wonder the more oldies are packed to the rim in top government appointments the more the propensity to attract and retain oldies in other senior government posts intensify. Originally, representation of women in the House was meant to encourage gals to take part in governance but intentionally no age cap and term limit statutes were enacted resulting into elderly women club in the House suffocating any semblance of girlish bonhomie there.
Now we have serious generational gap crisis in top leadership as aging oldies refuse to abandon plum government positions in favour of grooming young blood. Closer examination of Northern neighbours in Kenya reveals concerted efforts to mentor the youth to provide leadership there while our leaders spend more time grousing about our inability to compete with them!
The youth will do themselves a huge disfavour if they continue being indentured by political party servitude when it comes to voting instead of prioritizing one of their own comes this October D-Day. Do not doom yourself!
Any government that is formed after the general election in October this year owes her existence to the massive youth vote cast in her favour but unfortunately that is where the contribution of the youth in building their nation comes to an abrupt end.
The youth will definitely vote hoping for a government they are going to install will be sensitive to their needs but past electoral input of the youth confirms that where the youth do hold the clout to influence electoral verdict but they are seldom involved in the formation of a government.
In fact, the youth are by-standers as codgers exploit youthful decisive vote to shape a new government suffusing with anything but youthful exuberance. Where laws were hatched purposely to curb geezers from overstaying in government positions but scofflaws in the government have seen it fit to put their cronies in sensitive government positions regardless of the strictures of the law.
The sixty year age cap is often thrown to the dogs no sooner a darling of the rulers of the day signals his quest for a certain top government position. At Tanesco we saw Dr. Idrissa Rashid who was by then 62 years old being rewarded with top jobber there. And - there is unrelenting gossip - he is being groomed for a second stint there where he will be at least 65 years of age!
At East African Community, we evidenced Mr. Juma Mwapachu who was by then 64 years young being canoodled with Executive Secretary post there. He is now inches from joining a septuagenarian club.
At TBL, the law had to be upended in order to accommodate a septuagenarian as Chairman of the Board of Directors by permitting shareholders' convention to sanction his appointment as otherwise the law would have debarred Mr. Cleopa David Msuya to chair that company.
These anecdotes are by no means exception but are a general trend of this government: Exploitation of the youth vote in order to reward geezers. My intrusive review on hiring decisions in top government positions illuminates only 7% of the appointments in the last five years pampered those who were below 50 years of age with the rest i.e. 93% of summit appointments benefiting the older generation.
The cabinet membership has an average age of 58 years if you overlook junior ministers' provision, a playground for the youth. The parliament has an average age of 54 years for MPs. A club of Regional Commissioners is dominated by sexagenarians.
Chairpersons of state owned organizations bandied as parastatals and executive agencies average age there is 63! Only in low ranking dockets like Councilors where age average drops to 52 and the reason is the oldies condescend on those poorly paying nominal occupations.
Following the magic rule of "like attracts like" it is small wonder the more oldies are packed to the rim in top government appointments the more the propensity to attract and retain oldies in other senior government posts intensify. Originally, representation of women in the House was meant to encourage gals to take part in governance but intentionally no age cap and term limit statutes were enacted resulting into elderly women club in the House suffocating any semblance of girlish bonhomie there.
Now we have serious generational gap crisis in top leadership as aging oldies refuse to abandon plum government positions in favour of grooming young blood. Closer examination of Northern neighbours in Kenya reveals concerted efforts to mentor the youth to provide leadership there while our leaders spend more time grousing about our inability to compete with them!
The youth will do themselves a huge disfavour if they continue being indentured by political party servitude when it comes to voting instead of prioritizing one of their own comes this October D-Day. Do not doom yourself!
