Wajibika is a national youth campaign that was launched during the 2012 KAYO (Kenya Anglican Youth Organisation)conference. The main objective of the initiative was to mobilize youth within the Anglican Church and subsequently outside the Anglican Church to register as voters in large numbers.

These youth were strongly encouraged to turn out to vote as a way of taking responsibility for their future in their country. They also pledged to refrain from any form of violence and become agents of peace before, during and after the elections. The youth also promised to influence their peers to Wajibi-ka.

Over 86% of Kenya's 14.3 million registered voters turned out on 4 March to cast their votes and I am confident that our youth made up a big number of that 86% because they pledged in August last year to register and vote. The conduct of the elections was also largely peaceful.

So what next for Wajibika?

It did not end with elections but is a lifetime commitment. We must rise up and continue to Wajibika in all areas of national life as the young people of Kenya. We need to be the positive influence that we aspire for among the next generation of nation-builders – you and me.

We are not officially operating within a devolved structure of government. County governments are at various stages of setting up structures and systems to govern at that level for public service delivery and development. They have a heavy responsibility which requires our support and vigilance as youth.

The first step as a youth to Wajibika in this context is to familiarize yourself with what is going on in your locality – your village, ward, constituency, county and the nation. Take time to read all the policy and legal frameworks that exist starting with the Constitution of Kenya 2010. This will help us all in starting to become a part of driving our nation forward through making meaningful contributions in appropriate ways.

Kuwajibika means becoming proactive, creative and innovative in engaging your peers and governments for purposes of fulfilling the objects of citizen participation. As youth we need to take full advantage of the provisions weaved into the Constitution and especially County Government legislation on citizen participation. But as I have stated, we must be informed first.

I believe that Wajibika has the potential to raise a generation of proactive youth in the country who will contribute meaningfully to national and local debates. For example, we are now witnessing the debate on a national referendum on the minimum budgetary allocation for county governments in the national budget.

The proponents want at least 40% of the budget to go to counties by law, up from the current 15%. While this is a wonderful proposal as it will increase the amount of money to country governments for the sake of enhancing public service delivery, I believe that there are other avenues that can be exploited before we go the way of a referendum since even the current 15% provision is only a minimum. What are the youth thinking about concerning this issue?

By engaging in such debates at all levels, youth can start to understand and contribute to local and national agendas either through direct or indirect engagement.

That is what Wajibika is all about anyway – taking responsibility personally and collectively.

[This first appeared in the newsletter of the Anglican Development Services in Kenya]