NAIROBI — Youth activist and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Youth League member Kasmuel McOure has announced the launch of a new advocacy movement, the Broad‑Based Youth Front, aimed at lobbying the government directly for youth interests — bypassing established political intermediaries.
The announcement was made via a statement on December 9, 2025.
McOure declared that the Youth Front will represent young Kenyans independently, rejecting influence from politicians who did not participate in the nationwide protests of June 2024 — a series of demonstrations that helped usher in the so-called “broad-based government.”
“I will not take direction from any politician who was not with us on the streets,” McOure said, adding that their popularity or political status was irrelevant.
He emphasised that the Broad-Based Youth Front will advocate directly for youth affairs — particularly social, economic, and governance reforms — rather than relying on established party structures.
McOure also criticised what he termed “intolerable inefficiency” within the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, accusing the ministry of treating young people as an afterthought and of prioritizing personal agendas over its mandate.
The launch of the Youth Front represents a shift in youth activism in Kenya: rather than protesting from the streets, young people — through organised platforms — now intend to engage directly with institutions of power.
Background: McOure came into the public spotlight during the June 2024 youth-led protests that opposed a controversial Finance Bill and broader economic policies.
In May 2025, he had already stated that his support for the broad-based government depends on the fulfillment of specific conditions regarding youth inclusion and governance reforms.
With the Broad-Based Youth Front, McOure now seeks to institutionalise youth demands and pressure both political parties and government ministries to deliver reforms rather than rely on rhetoric or symbolic gestures.
