Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has called on contractors working on the various government construction projects in Kiambu to give the local youth priority in employment opportunities.
The CS who was speaking at the Ground Breaking Ceremony of Limuru Sub County that will host a Police Headquarters, said government wants to create employment opportunities for youth through various programmes and policies.
“I would like to ask the contractor to employ and hire locals as they begin building this Police Headquarters,” Matiangi, who is also the Chair of the National Development Implementation and Communication Committee said in his remarks.
The government has for example been training boda boda riders, a program that has been rolled out nationally to benefit the youth who form a majority of operators in the sector.
The Limuru boda boda Chairperson Dominic Oloo, present at the ceremony, confirmed that most of them had been trained but urged riders to register with Boda Boda Association of Kenya recognized as the legitimate association for players in the boda boda sector.
“As we enter the campaign period, politicians may try to register operators to new saccos for their selfish gain. I urge you to register with the Boda Boda Association of Kenya which is the recognized association,” Oloo said .
Other programs that government has put in place and are designed to benefit the youth include the Kenya Defense Forces recruitment advertised recently on local dailies that is expected to begin in mid-November.
The youth in Kiambu have also benefited from Kazi Mtaani, a program that was rolled out nationwide in 2020 to clean up the streets and roads in various cities and towns.
It was initiated to give the youth a source of income to cushion them from the job losses occasioned by the economic impact of the Covid-19 virus spread and give them training on entrepreneurship and financial management among other skills.
Statistics from the State Department for Youth Affairs in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology reveal that over 200,000 young Kenyans have benefited from the program.
By Duncan Mutwiri and Wangari Ndirangu
