Despite constitutional provisions allowing any registered voter aged 18 and above to vie for parliamentary, senatorial, gubernatorial, or county assembly seats, Kenya's Gen Z faces significant obstacles in entering politics.

While the presidency remains out of reach due to its 35-year minimum age, younger candidates encounter a complex clearance process managed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Aspirants must secure certificates from seven state agencies, including:

  • The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for integrity checks
  • The National Cohesion and Integration Commission for ethnic conduct oversight
  • The Directorate of Criminal Investigations for criminal record verification
  • The Kenya Revenue Authority for tax compliance
  • The Higher Education Loans Board for loan repayment status
  • The Credit Reference Bureau to identify financial defaults
  • The Registrar of Political Parties for membership verification

These requirements disproportionately affect young candidates who often contend with student loans, gig economy instability, and mobile lending debts. For instance, many struggle to obtain HELB clearance or are disqualified due to Credit Reference Bureau blacklisting from mobile loan defaults.

Educational qualifications present another barrier. A university degree is mandatory for parliamentary, senatorial, and gubernatorial positions, a rule upheld by the High Court in 2022. This excludes many young people, as over 800,000 students currently face the risk of dropping out due to funding shortages in higher education.

The only accessible elected position for youth without degrees is at the county assembly level. However, financial hurdles persist. Although the IEBC offers a 50% discount on nomination fees for youth, party primaries require separate, often higher, non-refundable fees ranging from Sh100,000 to Sh250,000. Campaign spending regulations further complicate matters, mandating audited reports for expenditures exceeding Sh1 million.

The political challenges are evident. In the July Ol Kalou by-election, 26-year-old Timothy Kamau's symbolic campaign highlighted youth enthusiasm but underscored the dominance of established party machinery and financial networks.

Independent candidacy is an alternative but demands collecting voter signatures and enduring a three-month resignation from political parties, posing additional challenges for resource-limited youth.

Gen Z is eager to transition from activism to formal politics, yet the current system's financial, educational, and bureaucratic barriers effectively prevent their participation, without explicitly barring them.