The United Nation Development Programme through the National Counter Terrorism Centre has empowered 20 groups consisting of youth and women in Busia County.
Speaking after receiving the equipment at the County Headquarters on Tuesday, Busia County Commissioner John Korir said that the equipment will help the beneficiaries engage in income generating activities and safeguard them from being radicalized.
“We know that terrorism can harm the entire society and the whole nation and we have been sensitizing people across the country for the last two years, he said adding that the exercise has culminated into the support of the groups.
Korir stated that the groups benefitted from assorted equipment worth not less than Sh5 million.
Busia Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi thanked the partners for supporting the programme adding it will help the beneficiaries to improve their livelihoods.
Mulomi urged the beneficiaries to be focused and use the equipment carefully adding that youth should make use of the available empowerment funds from both county and National government.
“As County Government we will work closely with the National government officers to monitor the progress because some of the equipment they have received are meant for value addition,” he said.
Some of the equipment and material received by the groups include animal feeds, hatchery, motorbikes, chipping machines, construction equipment, seeds among others.
In speech read on his behalf by Principal Laison Officer Alitsi Nyangori, the Acting Director of National Counter Terrorism Centre Joseph Opondo noted that youth and women are motivated to join radical youth thinking that they can gain identity among their peers.
Opondo stated that through empowerment of these groups the general welfare of the community will be improved.
By Salome Alwanda
