Laikipia Woman Representative Catherine Waruguru has called on investors in Nanyuki town to consider giving priority to locals when seeking to employ workers.
Waruguru noted that many investors in the town were employing non-locals thus leaving residents jobless despite having the same skills or higher.
“I am starting a conversation with business people in Nanyuki and also the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK), and local flower farms since they are some of the biggest employers so that they can give priority to our youth when opportunities arise,” She said.
Speaking on Thursday in Nanyuki town when she distributed empowerment equipment to youth groups to start income-generating ventures, Waruguru added that the constitution stipulates that an investor should give priority to locals when employing.
The Woman rep added that she would petition Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui to ensure that employment regulations are adhered to by employers in Nanyuki town since her pleas to the local labour office bore no fruits.
“Let them give our youth jobs even if it’s cleaning floors, they would rather be cleaners than remain jobless at the expense of outsiders. It’s very unfortunate that employers are importing labor force from elsewhere yet our people are jobless” Waruguru said.
During the function, nine youth groups benefitted from equipment worth over Sh.1 million meant to help them start income-generating activities or boost existing ones. They included welding machines, salon equipment, toolboxes, and car wash spray machines.
She regretted that majority of frustrated youth in Nanyuki ended up engaging in criminal activities and getting into drug abuse since they could not find employment.
“The reason why our Nanyuki prison is full of youth is because they have resorted to crime after failing to secure jobs in their own town yet they see foreigners getting priority over them all the time,” Waruguru said.
By Martin Munyi
