Kenya Studies Review ISSN: 2150-5764 (online) Copyright © 2013 Kenya Studies Review Volume 6, Number 4, Fall 2013 1 Table of Contents 1. From the Editor-in- Chief …………………………………………………………….2 2.From the Editors………………………………………………………………………3 3. Alternative Peace Building Strategies in Kenya: Focus on Youth Networks. Beldinah Kochwa Oranga Otieno………………………………………………………………….4 4. Containing Conflicts in Africa; Issues on Peace Education and Development. By Adewale Adepoju, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State………….12 5. Economic Empowerment a Panacea to Conflicts: A Case of Mashonaland Central Province, 1999 to 2012. By Obediah Dodo…………………………………………….19 6. Human capital insecurity and democratization in Nigeria: a reflection on the political economy implications. By Chubah Ezeh……………………………………………….39 7. Internal Conflicts and Development Challenges in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. By Akinwumi Olayemi and Bilyaminu Suleiman Muhammed……………………………55 8. Nigerian Newspapers’ Coverage of the Boko Haram Insurgence: Peace or War Journalism? By John Aigbovbioise Orhewere and Jude Terna Kur……………………64 9. “Employing African Solution to African Problems” By Bernard Kibet Malakwen...79 10. Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons: Challenge to Development, Peace and Security in Africa. By Esther Chelule, Egerton University………………………..91 11. The challenges to the channels for conflict management and resolution among the Tiv of Nigeria. By Andrew Philips Adega, Benue State University, Makurdi- Nigeria………………………………………………………………………………...105 12. The Failure of Nation State Building and the Development Crisis in Africa. By Boniface K. Muoka, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology……….120 13. Conflicts and the Phenomenon of Child Soldiers in Africa. By Torese Agena, Benue State House of Assembly, Makurdi, Nigeria………………………………………….140 14. Do Peace Treaties Work? The Case of Conflict Resolution in Somalia. By Fred Jonyo, University of Nairobi………………………………………………………….146 15. Effect of Remuneration on Employees Performance in the Ministry of Internal Security: A Case of Kisii County. By Onyancha Nyanumba Wilfred, Charles Munene Elijah and Willy Muturi……………………………………………………………….160 16. Impact of Political Crisis on National Development in Nigeria: the Action Group Crisis in Context. By Adedayo Emmanuel Afe…………...171 17. Human Rights and Human Security. By Roosevelt Z. Willie, National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia (NATJL)…………………………………………………..187 18. Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution in Darfur: A Critical Analysis of UN-AU hybridization Mechanism. By Raji Rafiu Boye………………………………………198 19. The Nigerian State and the Niger Delta Perspective. By Aghalino, S.O. and Ofou Felix, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria and Government House, Asaba, Nigeria…………..211 2 Alternative peace building strategies in Kenya: Focus on Youth Networks By Beldinah Kochwa* Abstract The aim of this paper is to examine alternative strategies of peace building in Kenya, with special reference on youth networks in the country. Using primary and secondary sources, the paper points out areas where the youth have been at a disadvantage. The main argument in this paper is that previous studies have paid attention to adults – men and women – in peace building, and very little attention youth. Over 60 percent of Kenya’s population is composed of people below the age of 35, making them majority. More than 500,000 young people graduate from institutions of learning yearly many of whom are faced with a myriad of challenges including unemployment. It is my contention that the Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2005 on Youth Development did not cover enough depth on the role of youth. I argue that the Government and other voluntary youth agencies did little to put the youth in the development agenda. Using peace and conflict theories as framework, I suggest that Kenya needs a Youth Peace Networks structure through which youth capacity can be strengthened to facilitate their participation in peace building initiatives at all levels. Previous efforts to incorporate youth have been lukewarm and lackadaisical. Save for the National Youth Service that started in 1964, most youth programmes that existed were recreational in nature. I would like to revisit the issues that were not addressed by the “After School – What” Report following the Kericho conference which created some interest on youth issues. Stakeholders need take more interest in the youth of Kenya. Although the National Youth Policy defines a Kenyan Youth as one aged between 15 – 30 years taking into account the physical, psychological, cultural, social, biological and political definition of the term, there are some texts that go up to 35. This paper proposes the formation of youth networks that will ensure representation of all youth from the grassroots to the national level. There is need to do an inventory of all existing youth either through groups or individual, not forgetting that there is a graduation and exit into and from this age bracket on daily basis. I fault cases where elderly people of up to 60 years have continued to misuse the term youth and purported to be acting on behalf of youth. I point out that their direct association has negatively impacted on the youth especially the political class. Kenyan youth accounts for over 40% of the country’s population. Kenya’s experience following the 2007/8 post election violence is largely attributed to the young people in the country. Many lost their lives while others were displaced from their homes. A bigger percentage of the youth were indirectly affected. Since then, youth in Kenya have participated in peace building in a number of ways. There are a number of institutions that have undertaken to ensure a peaceful and cohesive society. This paper proposes youth peace network structure at sub-county, county and national levels in order to address some of the peace issues. Keywords; Youth, Development, political class, unemployment, peace issues, *Beldinah Kochwa is a PhD Candidate at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Nairobi. Beldinah Kochwa (2013). Alternative peace building strategies in Kenya: Focus on Youth Networks. Kenya Studies Review, Volume 6, Number 4. Copyright © 2013 Kenya Studies Review 3 Introduction In the 1960s, as revealed in the Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2005 on Youth Development, the Government and other voluntary youth agencies did little to put the youth in the development agenda. Save for the National Youth Service that started in 1964, most youth programmes that existed were recreational in nature. They were mostly urban based. The “After School – What” Report following the Kericho conference took keen interest on youth issues. So far, the Government and other youth practitioners have come up with strategies of unraveling challenges that affect the youth. In response to the requirements of the African Youth Charter, that member countries form ministries in charge of youth affairs, the government of Kenya created the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MOYA) in December, 2005. MOYA finalised the Kenya National Youth Policy (2007), which was a buildup of the Kenya National Youth Policy (2002) initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Heritage and Sports. This policy endeavors to enhance youth participation in national development goals and ensure that programs are well-coordinated to address the welfare of young people in Kenya. The objectives of the policy are; to sensitize national policy makers on the need to identify and mainstream youth issues in national development; to emphasize, support and partner with positive and effective initiatives and programmes set up by associations, no-profits groups that help the youth to fulfill their expectations and meet their needs; to create proper conditions for the youth to empower themselves and exploit their potential; to identify ways of empowering the youth; to promote a culture of volunteerism among the youth and to explore and suggest ways of engaging the youth in the process of economic development. Moreover, the policy aimed to identify constraints that hinder the Kenyan youth from realizing their potential and to propose ways of mentoring the youth to be just and morally upright citizens and to promote honest hard work and productivity among the youth (MOYA, 2007). To complement the work of the ministry of Youth Affairs, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, was formed in 2006 to increase access to capital for young entrepreneurs and to provide business development services, facilitate linkages in supply chains, create market opportunities locally and abroad for products and services of youth enterprises, and facilitate infrastructure to support growth of youth businesses (Youth Enterprise Development Fund, 2009). However, for a young person to qualify for a project loan, he or she must finance 20% of the project’s cost. This requirement may encourage youth to begin to save so that they can qualify for a loan. Vision 2030, the Kenyan development blueprint covering the period from 2008 to 2030, aims to encourage savings and other investments among economically active Kenyans and reduce the burden of economic dependency among the under-14 and over-65 age groups in the working population. A recent report (Youth Employment in Kenya, 2011) reviewing Kenya’s various youth policies reported a number of impacts, including; • Training on entrepreneurship for approximately 8,000 youths • Employment of 24,000 youths in the Trees for Jobs program • Training of 16,000 youths in industrial skills • Establishment of 6 youth empowerment centers (Washington University, Center for social Development, April 2012). 4 The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations Programme on Youth (2011) reported that Africa is the world’s youngest continent, as the proportion of youth among the region’s total population is higher than in any other continent. In 2010, 70 percent of the region’s population was under the age of 30, and slightly more than 20 per cent were young people between the ages of 15 to 24. Wamuyu (2010), holds the view; Kenya’s population is largely youthful. 75% of the country’s population is made up of persons aged 1 to 30 years.