Two lovely girls.

If you believe you are only as young as you feel, maybe you should be living in Kenya.

A government minister has proposed changing the legal definition of youth to anyone aged from 15 to 50 -- a two-decade jump from the current ceiling of 30 years.

If passed by parliament, that would put youths within five years of Kenya's official retirement age of 55.

Youth Affairs Minister Muhammad Kuti was quoted in local media as saying the government plans to change the law so more people can access a 1 billion shilling ($14 million) youth fund established this year.

The proposal has rankled some in the east African nation, where critics say the reform agenda of President Mwai Kibaki,74, has stalled because he has filled his cabinet with members of his own age group.

肯尼亚政府的一名部长提议将"青年"的法律定义修改为"年龄在15至50岁之间的人"，将目前的30岁上限整整提高了20年。

如果这个提案在议会上通过，那么只差5年到达法定退休年龄55岁的人都还是青年。

肯尼亚当地媒体援引青年事务部部长默罕莫德·库提的话说，肯尼亚政府计划修改这个规定，这样，更多的人就可以享用于今年设立的10亿先令（1400万美元）的青年基金。

这个提议引起了国内一些人的不满，批评人士说，74岁的姆瓦伊o齐贝吉总统所组建内阁的成员都是和他年龄相仿的人，他的改革计划都已经搁置了。

审计署成员凯瑟琳·卡格维里尔评价"青年"定义修改提案说："这完全是胡说。肯尼亚需要的不是这些老气横秋的领袖，而是年轻、充满活力的领导人。"