Renovated youth resource centres opened in 15 counties

Cabinet Secretaries Margaret Kobia (Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs) and Joe Mucheru (ICT) witness the launch of a youth empowerment centre. The government has launched 15 refurbished youth empowerment centres in various counties across the country. PHOTO | COURTESY

By  Sarah Nanjala

What you need to know:

  • The government had established 152 youth empowerment centres in more than 100 constituencies in 2012.
  • The centres had remained unused and, as a result, needed refurbishment to make them useful again.
  • The ministry has allocated further funding to refurbish another 60 centres in the current financial year.

The Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender has launched 15 refurbished youth empowerment centres in various counties across the country.

The centres, which cost the ministry Sh50 million to refurbish, were commissioned by 15 principal secretaries from various ministries and will serve as resource facilities and leisure spots for the youth in the respective regions.

The government, under the flagship Vision 2030 project, had established 152 youth empowerment centres in more than 100 constituencies in 2012.

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UNUSED

However, in a statement to the media, Public Service Principal Secretary Francis Owino said that the centres had remained unused and, as a result, needed refurbishment to make them useful again.

“In order to make the YECs operational and beneficial to the youth the ministry embarked on refurbishing 21 centres in the last financial year 2018/2019,” he said.

The ministry is allocated Sh150 million each financial year which is used in development projects such as the establishment of youth empowerment centres.

MORE CENTRES

The ministry has allocated further funding to refurbish another 60 centres in the current financial year.

While marking the ongoing National Youth Week, the principal secretaries also held conversations with the youth from the respective regions in a bid to identify their immediate needs.

The refurbished centres will provide ICT services, guidance and counselling on drugs and substance abuse, and HIV/Aids prevention among others.

They are also equipped for both indoor and outdoor games.

SAFE SPACE

“Broadly, the YECs provide safe spaces to address social, economic and health needs, including psychological concerns prevalent among the youth,” Dr Owino said.

The government, through the Youth ministry, is also embarking on establishing an additional 138 youth empowerment centres in the remaining constituencies and sub- counties once the existing 152 are fully operational.

The 15 newly refurbished youth centres were launched in the counties of Nairobi, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Bomet, Nandi, West Pokot, Tharaka-Nithi, Machakos, Kitui, Kilifi, Kakamega, Garissa, Mandera and Homa Bay.

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