Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has challenged the youth to take advantage of the digital space provided in the country to create employment.
CS Mucheru said the government had created a conducive environment for E-commerce to thrive by ensuring there was enough connectivity across the country and the onus was on the young people to take advantage of the infrastructure provided to better their lives.
He said the government was also keen on equipping them with digital skills to be able to tap into the unlimited opportunities available in the digital world.
Speaking today at Karundas Primary School in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri, when he presided over the graduation of over 100 youths who had been trained on digital literacy by the Ministry in collaboration with tech giant Huawei, Mucheru also called on them to come together and form cooperatives.
This, he said, would provide them with an opportunity to create their own e-commerce businesses where they could be able to find jobs with other enterprises that align with their values as well as have their voice heard.
“Young people can come together to create even a ‘tech chama’ so that they can start building their e-commerce businesses,” CS Mucheru said, noting that this would help address the decent work deficit in the country that has given rise to social conflicts due to lack of job opportunities.
He challenged them to borrow a leaf from players in other sectors such as the boda boda operators who have formed their co-operative society and were pooling resources together with a view of starting new ventures.
The CS said the Covid-19 pandemic had reshaped how the world works by normalizing remote work as millions of people started working from home to live through the lockdowns occasioned by the pandemic.
It was for this reason that the CS called on the youth to put their digital skills in use to work online noting that many digital companies had doubled their revenues with increased digital activities.
“Companies like Apple are now worth $2.3 trillion and I can frankly tell you that we are not going the wrong way by going digital,” said the CS.
He at the same time said the consolidation of various funds including Uwezo Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund and Women Fund into Biashara Fund would help streamline the operations of the funds to improve service delivery.
Mucheru said the move was aimed at enhancing the fund as well as inject technology to allow people apply digitally and do away with the paperwork that requires applicants to travel to respective offices to make applications.
The CS also called on the youth to use social media positively instead of using the platforms to attack and disparage people’s names especially those in positions of authority.
“Why should we waste such a great opportunity where we can communicate and move our country forward in terms of development instead of resulting to personal attacks and character assassination,” the CS said.
His sentiments were echoed by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and Kieni MP Kanini Kega who said there were many constructive ways that social media could be used to improve people’s lives such as marketing various goods and services.
“Many in social media instead of using their space to do constructive things are wasting their bundles to abuse others,” the Governor complained as he warned that such posts would come to haunt them in future for instance when searching for jobs.
By Samuel Waititu
Youths challenged to take advantage of digital space in the country
