The Centre for Multiparty Democracy Kenya

A generation should not have to figure everything out on its own. There is value in learning from those who came before, just as there is value in listening to the questions, experiences and ideas of those shaping what comes next.💫 Through the Kijana Jitokeze Uwajibike – Intergenerational Dialogue Series, CMD-Kenya brings young people and experienced leaders into the same space for conversations that go beyond speeches and formal exchanges.⚡️ The 6th edition, featuring former Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga, EGH, created an opportunity to explore The Constitution from the Ground Up while connecting Kenya's constitutional history with the aspirations and democratic realities of today's young people.💫 This is central to CMD-Kenya's work of strengthening multiparty democracy and creating pathways for meaningful youth participation in governance. By encouraging honest conversations, sharing experiences and interrogating difficult questions, the series helps young people better understand political and civic spaces while allowing experienced leaders to engage with emerging perspectives.💪🏾 Intergenerational dialogue is not about one generation teaching and another simply listening. It is about creating room for both to contribute, learn and shape a more inclusive democratic society.⚡️

Young people need more than invitations to participate in democracy; they need spaces where they can engage, question, challenge ideas and learn from those who have walked the journey before them. The 6th edition of CMD-Kenya's Kijana Jitokeze Uwajibike – Intergenerational Dialogue Series with @BusaraCenter brought young people together with former Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga, EGH, for a conversation on *“The Constitution from the Ground Up.”* The discussion explored Kenya's constitutional journey, the place of citizens in defending constitutional values, accountability, public participation and the responsibility of young people in shaping the country's democratic future. Through reflections on the struggles that shaped the Constitution and the realities of its implementation today, participants examined what it means to move beyond knowing their rights to actively exercising them. It was an opportunity for young people to engage directly with experience, interrogate ideas and consider their place in advancing constitutionalism and democratic governance. #KijanaJitokezeUwajibike

📍 Taking democracy closer to the people, one space at a time! Promoting multiparty democracy goes beyond strengthening political parties. It also means creating an enabling environment where citizens can understand, engage with and actively participate in democratic and electoral processes. As part of our continued efforts to advance inclusive and participatory democracy in Kenya, the Centre for Multiparty Democracy–Kenya (CMD-Kenya), during the 3rd Edition of the Youth Devolution Festival (YDF 2026) in Kilifi County, collaborated with and supported the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (@IEBCKenya ) to establish the Jisajili Pavilion. 🗳️ The dedicated space provided an opportunity for IEBC to take voter registration and civic education directly to young people within an environment where they were already gathering, connecting and engaging. Through the Pavilion, young people could access information on voter registration, receive civic and voter education materials, ask questions and seek support with registration where eligible. 🤝 This collaboration reflects an important aspect of CMD-Kenya's work: facilitating constructive engagement between democratic institutions and citizens by bringing institutions into spaces where people, particularly young people, are already present. We recognise that meaningful electoral participation begins long before election day. It requires accessible information, continuous civic education, trusted institutional engagement and opportunities for citizens to make informed decisions about their participation in democratic processes. As we approach the 2027 General Election, CMD-Kenya remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen multiparty democracy, promote informed civic participation and bring democratic institutions closer to the people they serve. Democracy works better when institutions do not simply wait for citizens to find them, but also make deliberate efforts to meet citizens where they are. 🇰🇪

🗳️ Young people must be part of shaping the elections they want to see. As Kenya moves towards the 2027 General Election, strengthening youth participation requires more than encouraging young people to register as voters or turn out on election day. It calls for sustained opportunities to engage with political actors, interrogate governance priorities, demand accountability and actively contribute to peaceful electoral processes. 🤝 The 3rd Edition of the Youth Devolution Festival (YDF 2026), held over the past two days in Kilifi County, provided an important platform for these conversations. Bringing together young people, political parties, aspirants, electoral institutions, county and national duty-bearers, civil society and other stakeholders, the Festival created space to deliberate on youth electoral participation, voter apathy, electoral integrity, ethical political engagement and peaceful elections in devolved units. A central consideration throughout these engagements was the need to move beyond symbolic youth inclusion towards meaningful participation, where young people are recognised not merely as voters or political mobilisers, but as active contributors to political discourse, decision-making and democratic accountability. 📜 The Festival's anticipated Youth Electoral Participation & Peace Communiqué 2026 further provides an opportunity to translate dialogue into actionable commitments, with designated responsibility, timelines and follow-up mechanisms. At CMD-Kenya, through our support for this initiative, we remain committed to strengthening inclusive dialogue and creating spaces where young people and democratic actors can engage constructively, build trust and contribute to a peaceful and participatory electoral process. Because peaceful elections and accountable devolution are not responsibilities for institutions and political leaders alone. They require the meaningful participation of citizens, particularly young people. ✊

🗣️ Dialogue beyond our flagship! At the Centre for Multiparty Democracy–Kenya (CMD-Kenya), we believe that strengthening democracy requires more than creating spaces for dialogue; it requires supporting, connecting and sustaining diverse platforms through which citizens and institutions can engage meaningfully. As a multi-actor dialogue platform, our convening mandate extends beyond our annual flagship @thePDFestival (PDF). We actively support other initiatives that create opportunities for constructive engagement between citizens, political actors, government institutions, civil society and other stakeholders. 🤝 Over the past two days, we were pleased to support the 3rd Edition of the Youth Devolution Festival (YDF 2026) in Kilifi County, bringing together young people and diverse stakeholders to deliberate on youth participation in electoral processes, devolution, electoral integrity and peaceful elections ahead of 2027. Our engagement with platforms such as YDF reflects our commitment to fostering dialogue in both conventional and unconventional spaces, recognising that meaningful democratic participation must happen wherever citizens gather, connect and engage. From the People Dialogue Festival to the Youth Devolution Festival, our commitment remains the same: bringing diverse voices together to strengthen inclusive, participatory and responsive democracy. 🇰🇪

Day 2 | KISP Program Review & Management Workshop 29th October marked Day 2 of the Kenya Institutional Strengthening Programme (KISP) Review & Management Workshop, bringing partners together to take stock of programme progress, reflect on implementation experiences and identify areas that require further attention. Discussions centred on progress against programme results and the implications of the revised logframe for work plans, monitoring, reporting and learning. Partners also examined implementation challenges, emerging evidence gaps and the need for a shared learning agenda to guide programme adaptation and inform management decisions. The conversations reinforced the importance of collective accountability, learning from implementation experiences and using evidence to strengthen programme decisions and delivery.

Day 1 | KISP Programme Review & Management Workshop The KISP Programme Review & Management Workshop kicked off on 27 October in Nyeri, bringing together KISP partners for three days of reflection, review, and planning to strengthen program implementation and delivery. Day One focused on understanding the revised KISP logframe and its implications for partner delivery. Discussions explored how existing activities and workstreams contribute to the program’s intended results, identifying areas of alignment, gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for better coordination. Partners also reviewed program performance, examining achievements, emerging results, evidence gaps, and implementation challenges. These discussions will help inform practical decisions and adjustments to strengthen accountability, improve implementation, and ensure delivery remains aligned with the program’s objective

💬 “Democracy begins in human conversation.” -William Greider, American journalist and author known for his writing on American politics and democracy. At CMD-Kenya, empowering youths means creating spaces where they can engage with experienced leaders, challenge ideas and gain the knowledge and confidence to participate meaningfully in democratic processes. Through the Kijana Jitokeze Uwajibike Intergenerational Dialogue Series, conversations like the one with veteran journalist Njeri Rugene bring this purpose to life. By sharing her experiences, she offered valuable lessons on integrity, navigating professional challenges and the responsibility that comes with shaping public narratives. 🎙️ The value of these exchanges goes beyond the room. What a young person learns today can influence the questions they ask, the decisions they make and the courage with which they step into civic and political spaces tomorrow. This is why CMD-Kenya continues to invest in intergenerational dialogue: because a stronger democracy requires young people who are not only heard, but equipped to participate, lead and shape the country's future. 🇰🇪🤝🏾

💬 Some of the most important lessons are learned through the experiences we share with one another. From navigating difficult decisions to standing firm on integrity, hearing how others have handled the challenges of their profession offers valuable insights that cannot be learned from theory alone. During the Kijana Jitokeze Uwajibike Intergenerational Dialogue, the exchange with veteran journalist Njeri Rugene opened up space to reflect on these lessons, the importance of upholding professional values and what it takes to remain grounded in integrity while navigating the media landscape. 🎙️📰 This is the value of intergenerational dialogue: creating room for experience to meet fresh perspectives, for lessons to be shared across generations and for young people to draw from the journeys of those who came before them. Because when we share experiences, we do more than tell our stories. We pass on lessons that can shape how others navigate their own. 🤝🏾🇰🇪

🔥 As Kenya heads towards the 2027 elections, are young aspirants prepared for a political landscape where social media can shape public perception before they even get a chance to tell their story? 📱🗳️ Political communication has come a long way. The platforms have changed, the pace of public conversations has accelerated, and social media now plays a significant role in how political figures are perceived, how messages spread and how crises unfold. 💬 Through the Kijana Jitokeze Uwajibike Intergenerational Dialogue, young communicators and aspiring leaders had the opportunity to trace this evolution with veteran journalist Njeri Rugene, drawing lessons from past political communication and reflecting on what it takes to navigate today's digital landscape. 🎙️🤝🏾 As the 2027 elections approach, these lessons matter. Young aspirants need to understand how to communicate with intention, respond to crises, engage public criticism and take ownership of their narratives without losing sight of the responsibility that comes with public communication. 🇰🇪 Because preparing for an election is not just about having a message. It is about knowing how to communicate it, when to respond and how to navigate a conversation that can move faster than the facts. 🗣️⚡

🔥 What does it take to stand for democratic values when the work of communicating them comes with difficult questions, competing interests and real challenges? Communicating about power is never just about the message. It is also about understanding who holds it, how it shapes public conversations and the challenges that come with advancing democratic values. At the Kijana Jitokeze Uwajibike Intergenerational Dialogue, communications practitioners had the opportunity to learn from veteran journalist Njeri Rugene’s lived experiences, gaining insights into the realities of the profession and the responsibility that comes with shaping public narratives. Because advancing democracy also means confronting difficult realities, asking the uncomfortable questions and learning from those who have navigated these spaces before us. When experience meets new perspectives, there is room to rethink how we communicate, engage and contribute to a more democratic society. 🤝🏾