Kenya's future growth to be secured by nurturing the youth: official

NAIROBI, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's future growth can only be secured by nurturing the youth and preparing them to take on the future with the skills necessary to keep moving the country forward, a government official said on Sunday.

Irungu Nyakera, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Planning, said in a commentary published in the Standard Newspaper that the government has committed to empowering the youth through key interventions.

"Given the important role of young people in the country's future growth, the youth are set to be the greatest beneficiaries of the 6.5 million targeted jobs to be created over the next five years," Nyakera said.

The ruling party's manifesto which has been assimilated in the Third Medium Term, and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals also targets to empower the youth.

Nyakera said that like most growing economies, Kenya's youth comprise the largest percentage of the population.

He noted that despite the tremendous economic growth witnessed in the country in the past decade, the youth still constitute an overwhelming majority of the unemployed.

"As the population expands and more young people join the job market, the consequences of youth unemployment, if left unresolved, can be detrimental," he added.

The principal secretary said that the overarching youth empowerment pipeline will begin with ensuring that the youth have the right education and skills to take on future employment.

Some of the significant interventions to be undertaken by government include upskilling the youth through Technical Vocational Education and Training expansion, revitalization and staffing of technical training institutes and increasing student loans to universities as well as aligning the curriculum to industry needs.

Nyakera said the graduates will then be equipped for the job market through internship and apprenticeship programs.

The government has also established a Youth Development Council to link youth to opportunities, and will extend tax incentives to organizations on boarding interns.

The government further will invest in initiatives to improve infrastructure, nurture talent, and strengthen institutions in sports, culture and the arts.

Nyakera said that the youth who are keen on entrepreneurship will also benefit from improved access to finance and affordable credit.

He noted that achieving these objectives for the youth and the country at large, is anchored on growing the economy and ensuring that Kenya remains a preferred investment hub in order to increase foreign direct investments. Enditem