Young ward reps want a role in Uhuru-Raila handshake deal
What you need to know:
- KYMCA chairperson, Nairobi nominated MCA June Ndegwa, said that the youth are the worst affected during political violence in every election.
- Tinderet Ward MCA Kipkurui Chepkwony decried the lack of data to quantify the uptake of the loans by the youth.
- Lumakanda MCA Leyla Muhandale urged the government to allocate more money to sports to develop youth talent and rehabilitation programmes.
A youth group has asked to be at the center of the Building Bridges initiative.
The national caucus of Kenya Young Members of County Assembly (KYMCA) said that they will work with the Building Bridges committee set up by President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga as the team tours the country starting in Nyanza region to ensure that the ‘handshake’ message reaches the youth.
KYMCA chairperson, Nairobi nominated MCA June Ndegwa, said that the youth are the worst affected during political violence in every election.
“We are going to form a function that is going to steer the Building Bridges initiative as part of our programmes within the counties. We will work with the national committee formed by the government so that the message of handshake reaches the youths,” said Ms Ndegwa during a meeting held in Nairobi on Friday.
YOUTH AGENDA
The nominated MCA said the group, consisting of 1, 027 MCAs, will also seek to pass laws that are pro-youth, especially the 30 percent Procurement Bill, AGPO, and the National Employment Authority Bill.
She said that they will also hold workshops around the country to sensitise the youth on different opportunities to boost uptake of AGPO.
“We have realised is that they do not know the requirements to do business with government. We will engage KRA, AGPO and the Ministry of Youth to support us. We want to see the youth working with the government and we are providing that bridge for engagement between the youth, National Assembly and the Senate,” she said.
Tinderet Ward MCA Kipkurui Chepkwony, however, decried the lack of data to quantify the uptake of the loans by youth.
“We expected that 70 percent of the tenders given by National Youth Service should have gone to the youth because it is a youth service,” said Mr Chepkwony.
Lumakanda MCA Leyla Muhandale urged the government to allocate more money to sports to develop youth talent and rehabilitation programmes to keep them away from crime and drug abuse.
