Nyandarua
Governor Francis Kimemia unveilled
projects worth Sh 21 million which were meant to benefit the youths from the
region.
This according to the governor was meant to
sustain them during this period the country was grappling with Covid 19
effects.
During a ceremony to celebrate International
Youths week, Kimemia launched the newly established music production studio in
Ol Kalou that has cost the government Sh 4.5 million.
Also launched were three fully equipped Youth
training centers that will offer ICT facilities at Ol Kalou, Njabini and
Miharati at a total cost of Sh 4.5 million.
Some 113 youth groups from all over the county
were supplied with equipment worth Sh 13 million during a ceremony held at Ol
Kalou stadium.
Among the equipment were sewing machines,
concrete mixtures, salon equipment, car wash machines among others.
Speaking during the ceremony, Kimemia promised
to have the Youth Empowerment Programme escalated to reach even more deserving
youth in the County.
“Today, again, we gather to empower another lot
of beneficiaries drawn from the successes and lessons of the last disbursement.
Successful cases from the last batch of beneficiaries inspire my government to
further foreground and anchor the youth component, and agenda, in every
department and in every County intervention,” Kimemia said.
Successful cases of transformation were narrated
by the members who benefited during the last disbursement. These stories of
hope, he added, always gave him the
drive to continue empowering the youth through sustainable programmes.
“The story of Aberdare Youth Group in
Njabini-Kiburu is a constant reminder of the untapped potential of our youth.
Gifted with a greenhouse from where they started growing Capsicum (Hoho), the
group has made sales of over Ksh. 300,000 and diversified their investment by
purchasing a public address system with 10 speakers. This group, of young men
and women, is a testimony of the success of this empowerment programme,” he
added.
Pledging to support youth empowerment
irrespective of their orientation, Governor Kimemia said that the programme
will extend to skills development, contracting, and labor preference for youth
in the county.
“Youth are the drivers of the economy in this
country and nothing gives more satisfaction than these stories of hope and
transformation. Real stories of real people, our brothers and sisters, who
hitherto didn’t have much hope but are today employers and movers of the
economy, in their own small and big ways,” he said.
The Governor cautioned leaders against
politicising every development agenda.
“This will be a milestone for our youths
but you will hear some politicians dismissing the project.We want to urge
residents to ignore them so that the country can move forward,” he said.
County Youths and
Sports CeC Dominic Murani said that officials had been deployed to the youth
groups to train them on entrepreneurship.
“We do not want
this investment to go to waste and that is why there is need for the youths to
be trained.That is why our officers have been posted on the ground,” he
noted.
At the same time, Kimemia dispelled rumours that his
administration had converted a maternity wing at Engineer hospital into a Covid
19 isolation center.
Kimemia termed the claims circulating in social media as acts
of malice.
According to the reports, the county had converted the
maternity wing into an isolation center and had since urged mothers to seek
help from other medical facilities.
“I want to dispel rumours going round and categorically
say that we have not closed the maternity wing for whatever reason.Those
spreading the rumours are the ones who have always opposed my development
record.Let the public ignore those rumours,” he said.
The Governor said that Engineer hospital had enough isolation
rooms and there was no need to convert the maternity wing into one.
“We have space that can accommodate over 70 people and
there could no reason whatsoever to convert the maternity wing and ask our
mothers to use other facilities.Those doing so are seeking political mileage
out of nothing,” he noted.
The governor said that two ICU beds were at the facility.
This is out of the 15 that the county had procured with 13
being stationed at the JM Kariuki Memorial hospital in Ol Kalou.
“The county is well prepared to help end the spread of
this disease.That is we have procured these ICU facilities,” he noted.
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