Investing in youth a prudent undertaking

Just like any other government in its infancy, the Jubilee Government has made several slips and goofs. Also, it has not been very successful in delivering its message to Kenyans, scoring poorly in communicating to the country some of its notable achievements.

One area in which it has done well with the youth. In this regard, the government established the Uwezo Fund to provide interest-free business loans to youth. There is also the Youth Entreprise Development Fund.

These funds are intended to help reduce unemployment among young people, to help them in start-ups, or allow them to expand their businesses.

With such funds, the government can boast of Kenya being the only country that has taken a bold step in putting real money into the hands of youth, giving them a lifeline.

It is a fact that young people have in the past been marginalised, or taken advantage of by politicians who use them during campaigns either as “voting machines” or as goons-for-hire to unleash violence on political rivals.

Along the same lines, the government has decreed that 30 per cent of all government procurements go to youth.

It has also reformed the National Youth Service. During the 2014/ 2015 budget, young people received special attention with Sh8.3 billion allocation for the NYS, which will recruit and train 21,870 people as trainers for 227,670 youth to work in localised development projects, particularly the construction of dams.

Foreign investors have not been left out. They, and those eyeing government contracts, will now be required to demonstrate how many jobs they will have created for youth before being allowed to set up shop in the country.

INTERNSHIP

The government has also started internship for fresh graduates through which about 30,000 will be recruited to work as volunteers for one year.

They will be attached to match what they studied at university.

Graduates between the ages of 22 and 30 interested in volunteer work and self-improvement will be recruited.

Eligible candidates are expected to be brave, adventurous, disciplined, hardworking, ambitious and self-driven.

And just the other day, the government announced that it will hire more than 2,000 graduates to offer tuition to pupils from areas that suffer teacher shortage. The tutors will be posted to various areas outside the major towns.

All these measures are being undertaken by the Jubilee administration to deal with unemployment.

This is in appreciation of the fact that joblessness has, in the past, been blamed for insecurity, youth disillusionment and radicalisation, among other ills.

What all this boil down to is that the government is awake to the reality that investing in youth is a very prudent undertaking.

Indeed, the government must have realised that young people are the majority in this country.

It will thus be foolhardy to expect them to drive our destiny without teaching them how to do it, and giving them an opportunity to serve as volunteers. Indeed, any society that does tap into the energy and creativity of youth is doomed.

Mr Njuguna teaches in Gatundu South District, Kiambu County ([email protected]).