Photo/Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi addressing leaders at Mothers Union Hall in Murang’;a on Nyota programme
The Mountain Journal
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Principal Secretaries pitched camp in their home counties detailing the importance of the Kenyan government and the World Bank backed National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme designed to support the youth venturing into business.
In the sensitization forums , the PS’s informed the leaders that the five billion shillings NYOTA program is a transformative Government-World Bank legacy project that targets over 820,000 vulnerable young people aged between 18-29 years across all the 1,450 wards whose highest academic qualification is Form 4.
The program has three main pathways for youth empowerment namely On-Job Experience for skills and capacity building to acquire relevant experience under master craftsmen. This pathway targets 90,000 beneficiaries.
The program also eyes certification of youth with skills and technical knowhow but lack formal certificates. Through Recognition of Prior Learning, over 20,000 will be supported for certification.
In Laikipia County, Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru sensitised grassroots leaders and elected leaders on the need to educate the youth on the importance of the programme designed for the young who failed to proceed beyond secondary school level.
Mariru drummed up support for President William Ruto administration for transformative development designed to help the nation through engaging the youth in the counties.
“ The administrators, the elected leaders have a duty to encourage the youth to apply to benefit with the Sh50,000 from the Nyota programme. The chiefs should also educate the public on the projects initiated by the government in their areas,” said Mariru.
Each ward in Laikipia will present 70 youths in the programme.
Mariru said on October 17 the successive applicants will converge at the constituency level for further advice.
Photo/Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru at Nanyuki town NG CDF Hall speaking to administrators, political leaders in the importance of Nyota programme.
Laikipia county, Mariru said, had been facing serious insecurity issues that the Ruto administration has managed to contain through various initiatives.
In Laikipia East, six new schools will be constructed by KDF,while in the Laikipia West region security roads are being opened.
Laikipia MP Jane Kagiri said 1,050 youth who will be recruited will benefit from the government with Sh50 million from the Nyota kitty.
“Nyota programme is an economic venture that will help the youth to prosper through engaging in self employment,”said Ms Kagiri.
Photo/ Leaders from Laikipia led by Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru and Deputy Governor Reuben Kamuri when they tour Nanyuki Affordable Housing Programme.
Laikipia Deputy Speaker Antony Theuri raised concerns on the recruiting model for the programme saying urban areas should be allocated more numbers than the rural set up.
Theuri also the Nanyuki Town MCA called for an increased number of the youth in urban settings compared to those in rural areas.
“It is unfair for the wards in the urban areas with a high population of the targeted youth being allocated the same number with those in the rural areas,”said Theuri.
Laikipia MP Jane Kagiri appealed to all leaders to publicise the Nyota programme to be successful and create self employment.
“This is a programme that is designed to bring the youth on board and apply to benefit,” said Ms Kagiri.
In Murang’a county, Youth Principal Secretary Mr Elijah Mwangi Mwangi urged leaders in various sectors to mobilise the youth and apply to participate in the Nyota initiative.
Mwangi said he led Murang’a County leadership, National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) and youth leaders for a comprehensive sensitization forum on the National government program as part of our commitment to accelerate youth involvement in business development and enterprise.
“The entire process will be free and fair. It is being conducted online through a USSD platform to minimize human interaction and corruption. Youths should ignore those politicizing the initiative and instead seize this opportunity to transform their lives,” stated the PS.
He continued “The programme will cater for vulnerable young people aged 18 to 29 years, and 18 to 35 years for those living with disabilities.”
Mwangi said the business empowerment program where 70 youth per ward where each will be given business development skills and a start-up capital of sh 50,000 to grow sustainable enterprise.
The interactive forum provided a platform for developing strategies to encourage youth to apply and register for the program. The leaders agreed unanimously to forge a united front in enhancing and amplifying the NYOTA message in all public gatherings to increase the number of applicants.
“The target is to have all 2,450 successful youth from across the 35 wards taking into consideration the gender numbers,” said the PS.
Through this program, the government aims to accelerate the empowerment of Kenya’s youth and help them set up sustainable business enterprises as well as promote their saving cultures.
Present included the Central Regional Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha, MPs Mary Wamaua (Maragua), Peter Kihungi (Kangema), Sabina Chege and Members of County Assembly led by the Speaker Johnson Mukuha.
