YOUTH PARTICIPATION AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE IN MANDERA COUNTY, KENYA
YOUTH PARTICIPATION AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE IN MANDERA COUNTY, KENYA
Sheikh Aliyare Hassan - Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Prof. Minja David - Department of Public Policy and Administration, School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
The participation of youth in political governance is a crucial aspect of a vibrant and inclusive democracy. Youth participation ensures that young people have a voice and representation in political institutions, enabling them to contribute their perspectives, ideas, and concerns. This study sought to establish the relationship between youth participation and political governance in the County Government of Mandera. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the effect of social exclusionary practices on political governance in Mandera County, to determine the effect of levels of youth coordination on political governance in Mandera County, to examine the effect of youths’ divergent views on political governance in Mandera County and to assess the youths’ involvement in county project evaluation on political governance in Mandera County. The support of the objectives the study adopted the human capital theory and the Civic Voluntarism Model (CVM) Of Political Participation. This study used a descriptive study approach. Descriptive research allowed for an in-depth investigation of a single or a small number of objects, which gave the study additional information and detail regarding the study participants. The research targeted, 60 County Elected Leaders (Governors, MPs, Senator, Women Reps and MCAs), 11 County Executive Committee Members, 56 Community Elders, 60 Youth Leaders and 33 County Chief Officers at the County Government of Mandera. Data was collected by use of questionnaires. Questionnaires were used as they had potential of reaching out to a large number of respondents within a short time, given the respondents’ adequate time to respond to the items, offer a sense of security (confidentiality) to the respondents and was an objective method since there was no bias resulting from the personal characteristics. Data analysis involved uncovering underlying structures; extracting important variables, detecting any anomalies and testing any underlying assumptions. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data was also be analyzed using a multiple regression analysis so as to establish how the dependent variable Political governance relates to the independent variables. Of the questionnaires issued, 88 filled in and returned the questionnaires making a response rate of 71.5%. This response rate was satisfactory to make conclusions for the study. This response rate was satisfactory to make conclusions for the study. The coefficient of determination as measured by the R-square (R2) (0.676) shows that all the four predictor variables (exclusionary practices, level of youth coordination, new generations views, youth feedback mechanisms) explain 67.6% of the total variation in political governance in Mandera County. The study concluded that exclusionary practices, level of youth coordination, new generations’ views and youths feedback mechanisms are statistically significant in enhancing political governance in Mandera County. The study recommended that the county government should establish robust evaluation and monitoring mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of youth participation initiatives in enhancing political governance. Regular reviews, feedback surveys, and performance assessments can help identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, ensuring that youth participation efforts are aligned with the county's goals and objectives.
