ODM Youth League member and activist Kasmuel McOure has issued a strong declaration of political autonomy, rejecting attempts by established politicians to influence the direction of the Broad-Based Government, which emerged from last year's wave of youth-led demonstrations.
In a statement on Tuesday, December 9, McOure said he would not take direction from any politician who did not participate in the 2024 protests for good governance, insisting that the youth who championed the broad-based agenda are capable of charting their own political path.
"I will not take direction from any politician who was not with us on the streets. Their popularity or political status notwithstanding," he declared.
McOure accused established politicians of attempting to reinvent themselves within the broad-based government movement despite not having been part of the original protests.
He maintained that the youth are committed to seeing the broad-based government deliver its full mandate and that they will own it to the very end.
He also announced the formation of the Broad-Based Youth Front, a structure he said intended to lobby the government directly on youth affairs without relying on political intermediaries.
The move, he said, signals an increasingly assertive stance among young Kenyans who feel sidelined by the traditional political class.
"We are taking back our voice. Starting today, we will lobby the government for youth affairs directly," Kasmuel asserted.
Alongside the political push, McOure directed sharp criticism at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports, accusing it of inefficiency and neglect.
He said the ministry had demonstrated indolence and intolerable inefficiency, claiming its performance treats young people as an afterthought.
"The ministry prioritises personal agendas over the mandate entrusted to them; its dismal performance treats the youth as an aftermath," Kasmuel claimed, warning that youth activists would raise the ante in demanding accountability and delivery of services.
His comments come amid renewed national conversations about youth representation and government responsiveness.
Kasmuel has been a supporter of the broad-based government since joining the ODM party in September 2024. He vigorously defends President William Ruto's administration and, at the same time, criticises it for giving government positions to the youth.
With the launch of the broad-based youth front, Mcoure aims to continue his advocacy for good governance, the core goal that motivated the 2024 Gen Z protests.
