There is a need for Kenyan youth to identify a niche in trade, tap into the internet, and explore innovative opportunities to increase their entrepreneurial knowledge.
Uasin Gishu County Chief Officer for Youth Affairs and Sports, Jelagat Tirop advised youth hoping to set up in business to aggressively identify areas to capitalize upon to grow their enterprises.
Tirop said while the government is expanding focus on youth empowerment, with loaning and empowerment policies geared to benefit young people, it was upon individual youth to aggressively identify opportunity areas,
“Our focus as a Department in Uasin Gishu is to see to it that we bring on board as many stakeholders as possible to ensure that our youth are trained to take up opportunities available in the world,” she said.
Speaking during a youth sensitization and training program in Racecourse Ward, the Chief Officer said youth empowerment was among the pillars of development prioritized by the current administration under Governor Dr Jonathan Bii.
According to the Chief Officer, 13 other youth sensitization engagements are in the pipeline across the County.
“This is a program that is a brainchild of the legislature and the executive working to try to help youth overcome the challenges that include unemployment,” Member of County Assembly for Racecourse Ward, Amos Kiptanui, said at the event.
“It is a program that brings on board expertise and trainers from different fields, so we can offer an alternative for our youth so that as they wait for formal employment, they can sustain and empower themselves through business,” added Kiptanui.
The Department of Youth Affairs, Members of County Assemblies, and other stakeholders are organizing 13 more sensitization and training forums in Wards.
Kesses Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner, Lillian Lagat, said the youth was facing challenges in employment and they could take advantage of existing opportunities in government programmes such as the affordable housing program, and government loans aimed at strengthening the youth.
Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Uasin Gishu Chapter Chair, Willy Kenei, said the organization is ready to open up business opportunities through training for the youth. Kenei gave an example of a toothpick processing machine that goes for as little as Sh100,000.
Kenya exports bamboo to China and imports value-added products as finished products in the form of toothpicks. This, Kenei said, is a business that can be explored by the youth.
The youth were trained on access to government procurement opportunities and the requirements of this scheme, advantages of technical and vocational skills, loans for businesses, and guarding against alcohol and substance abuse.
By Kiptanui Cherono
