Bungoma county youth are set to benefit from the Community Road Empowerment Programme sponsored by the government of Japan through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The programme, aims at stabilizing communities affected by violent extremism, conflict and disasters in Kenya. It was launched on March 30, 2021 at a Bungoma Hotel in Kanduyi, Bungoma County.
Speaking during the launch, Bungoma County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Roads and Infrastructure Engineer Collins Mukhongo noted that the programme is geared towards improvement of road networks in rural areas across the county.
“We may be talking of several kilometers of our road networks repair but the impact will go a long way in changing the face of this region,” he said.
Mukhongo added that the programme will see many youth who had initially lost their jobs due to the covid-19 pandemic secure employment to better their living standards.
According to Amos Biwott, an official from the Community Road Empowerment Programme, Sh20 million has been set aside to facilitate the project in Bungoma and Busia counties.
He said every youth enlisted into the programme will be paid Sh750 per day each for 20 days.
He said that the programme has first embarked on training of the youth on how to build and repair rural roads using a new technology, which involves use of gabions.
Led by Edwin Chapurukha, the youth expressed their gratitude to both the government of Japan and the county government of Bungoma for the initiative promising to do their best once they embark on the tasks.
CECM Collins advised the youth to put to use the skills acquired to form groups and register construction companies to stand a chance of getting tenders to undertake bigger works.
By Enoch Sitati and Roseland Lumwamu
