Youth in the country have been encouraged to make good use of the various government empowerment funds and programmes to initiate meaningful projects and improve their lives.
The Government Spokesperson, Col (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna, said the youth are a critical part of the national development agenda and the government has consistently rolled out various programmes and initiatives aimed at creating employment opportunities for them.
“Youth empowerment remains a priority area for the government because they are our country’s biggest resource,” said Oguna.
Speaking at Swahili Pot during the launching of Mombasa Entrepreneurship Resource Centre for Youth (MERCY), Oguna lamented the poor uptake of affirmative funds and urged youth to make use of the government initiatives to improve their economic status.
The Government Spokesperson who was accompanied by the Coast Regional Commissioner, John Elungata, challenged the youth to make good use of available opportunities created by the government to achieve economic strides.
Oguna said the National Government was committed towards advancement of youth agenda through programmes such as Kazi Mtaani, Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), Ajira Digital Youth Empowerment Programme (ADYED), Presidential Digital Talent Development Youth Programme and Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP).
“The young people must seize the many opportunities and programmes to better their lives and take ownership of their own destinies,” he added.
He added that youth are an important component and key driver in the realization of the sustainable economic growth and achievement of the Big Four Agenda, Vision 2030 and other development programs.
“The government remains committed to all efforts directed at the realization of the youth potential in nation building in line with our constitution,” said Oguna, adding that the President was fully committed towards the full realization of the youth empowerment agenda.
He also called upon the youth to refuse being misused by politicians and interrogate thoroughly those aspiring elective positions. “Some politicians will come out with hand outs and feign meekness as they pretend to have solutions to your problems,” warned Oguna.
Addressing the forum, Elungata asked the youth in the region to be proactive and visit the offices of affirmative funds so as to learn what opportunities were available for their economic growth.
He advised the youth engaging in content creation to use their talents wisely and refuse any attempt to promote hatred and incitement messages during political campaigns. “Youth should use their talents for their benefits and reject those who want to use them as agents of chaos and division,” added Elungata.
The Regional Commissioner commended the Swahili Pot for creating opportunities and providing an enabling environment for the youth to promote their talents through digital platforms.
By Mohamed Hassan
