Youth Group Promotes Peaceful Politics Through Online Radio

KENYA. Nairobi. The COVID-19 quarantine brought an unexpected blessing of more free time to many. This turned out to be a boon for those with a creative flair, as evidence by a group of young people who decided to start an online radio show. The main purpose of this project was to promote peace ahead of the country’s presidential election in 2022. The group of ambitious university students comprises four boys and two girls who devote their time to producing uplifting content. All of them are working as volunteers.

Taking a stand against divisive politics

Historically, the country has suffered from divisive politics. As a result, citizens have witnessed post-election violence in the past. This was especially prevalent after the 2007 general election. Meanwhile, campaigns for the 2022 election have started to kick off.

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“I will confess to the errors the country makes. Occasionally during elections, a leader will speak ill of the opponent. I just had to bring a paradigm shift to this. In other words, promote clean campaigns to clarify the politician’s agenda and above all, stay away from division politics,” said Henry, the leader of the volunteer radio initiative.

“The final part was just promoting what we had prepared and most importantly, make sure there is a good flow of constructive news,” Henry explained to Transcontinental Times.

The young man created a firm foundation for the online radio initiative. They simply push peaceful content and clean campaign material. Their purpose is educational as well as patriotic.

Reaching the nation’s youth

Henry said the project shows great promise. They have reached the nation´s youth, who flood their site with positive comments. “Most of the people ask us if we are gaining something out of this,” another member of the group explained.

“Certainly, that’s where people go wrong. To clarify, yes, we hope to gain something. Most importantly, our focus is on the people. Therefore, we just want to give. Moreover, we are the ones who should ask people if they gain from listening to us,” Henry concluded.

Their programs also include history lessons. Namely, notable mentions of historic Kenyan people, good Kenyan music, and even interviews with influential people. At present, they run shows on a weekly basis.