The National and County governments have been challenged to consider addressing unemployment issues among the youths through comprehensive empowerment programmes to avert high number of youths engaging in criminal activities.
The World Vision Project Manager in charge of Youth Empowerment in Western Region, Peter Oduk expressed the need for the national and county governments to roll out youth empowerment programmes that would help them in addressing unemployment.
Oduk claimed that the government has not been considering involving youths in budgeting and decision making process but uses their numbers to rubberstamp its proposals.
Speaking on Monday in Homa-Bay town during Homa-Bay County Youth Costed Integrated Action Plan 2019-2022, Oduk said that many youths are rotting in prisons as a result of criminal offences due to unemployment.
The officer also appealed to state and non-state organisations to consolidate their resources and identify needs of youths in various counties to avoid duplication of services.
He said that the county governments can empower youths in Agribusiness, education and health to address unemployment.
At the same time Oduk challenged the youths to be responsible citizens by involving themselves in income generating activities instead of participating in unlawful activities that land them on the wrong side of the law.
By Dan Oduor/Davis Langat
