The Commission joined the world to mark this year’s International Day of Democracy that was themed Empowering the Next Generation. This year’s celebrations were held on 15th September 2023 at the Museums of Kenya in Nairobi and focused on young people's role in advancing democracy. It also provided an opportunity for the participants to review the state of democracy in the world and Kenya, in particular.
The celebration was hosted by ForumCiv, a Swedish organization that supports civil society, which emphasizes on children and young people in safeguarding democracy today and in the future.
The Commission was represented by among others Moses Sunkuli, the Director of Voter Registration and Electoral Operations, who championed the discourse on Kenya's electoral history since independence to the present time. Mr. Sunkuli underpinned the integration of electoral technology in the electoral processes as one of the biggest achievements of the Commission.
“The Commission continues to wear the badge of honour with pride having successfully conducted elections and played a huge role in entrenching democratic space in the country. The youth play an integral role in elections, serving as electoral officials, candidates and voters hence fulfilling their civic engagement and contributing to support democracy and governance in the country,” he said.
Mr. Jacktone Nyonje, the Ag. Director Voter Education and Partnerships, acknowledged that the Commission draws lessons from conduct of every election to inform strategy, policy and oversight in future elections. This is done by consolidating feedback received from all stakeholders, which helps in improving the electoral processes.
“Kenyan youth are key stakeholders in elections and the Commission commits to reach out to more young people in schools and institutions of higher learning and educate them on democracy. The Commission welcomes feedback and constructive criticism on how we conduct activities in the electoral processes. I encourage the youth to participate in the democratic space and they should not be restricted by age. Let us harness the energy and innovative ideas from our youth to drive change in this country,” said Nyonje.
On how the Commission has leveraged on digital space to influence democracy, Silas Njeru, the Manager Service Delivery, said it had done everything to guide young people navigate a world in which democracies are under threat from proliferation of online mis/disinformation. Mr. Njeru underscored the Commission’s commitment in providing accurate and timely information to the public and called upon individuals and the media to take responsibility in verifying the accuracy of any information before disseminating it. “In the current age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technological advancement, there is high spread of fake news around the electoral processes. This calls for the Commission to remain steadfast in dissemination of accurate and authentic information to preserve electoral integrity,” he said.