President William Ruto arrives at Kabiruini Showground in Nyeri County during the issuance of NYOTA grants to youth/PCS
President William Ruto has affirmed that the government has
put in place concrete and deliberate plans to help young people access
employment, saying job creation cannot be left to chance.
Speaking at Kabiruini Showground in Nyeri County during the
issuance of NYOTA grants to youth, Ruto said the government must be intentional
and strategic in creating jobs rather than waiting for opportunities to “pop
up”.
“For the first time, I can confirm that the government of
Kenya has a clear plan on how young people are going to access jobs,” the
President said.
Ruto noted that the government has invested heavily in
education and must now ensure that the returns on that investment are realised
through meaningful employment.
“That is why we have designed interventions to make sure the
money we have spent on education — the Sh700 billion used to educate your children
— delivers value. People leaving school must be placed in areas where they can
contribute to the progress of our nation,” he said.
The President outlined several interventions aimed at
boosting employment, including large-scale public construction projects.
He said many countries have relied on infrastructure
development to create jobs, adding that Kenya’s affordable housing programme is
not just about putting up houses but also about employment.
“The housing project is about jobs. Today, more than 500,000
Kenyans are working under the housing programme,” Ruto said.
He added that the government has rolled out a labour export
programme to open up job opportunities for Kenyans abroad, while also investing
in digital infrastructure to grow employment in the technology sector.
“We want one million young people working in the digital
space. Currently, we have about 300,000, and we are expanding this number,” he
said.
Ruto said the NYOTA programme is another key intervention
under the government’s job creation agenda, with a target of reaching 800,000
young people nationwide.
Implemented with support from the World Bank, the NYOTA
grant provides eligible youth with seed capital of up to Sh50,000, alongside
training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and life skills. The programme
targets vulnerable and low-income youth to support enterprise development and
self-employment.
The President urged young people to take advantage of the
programme, saying seeking opportunities to improve livelihoods reflects the
Kenyan spirit.
“I have seen young women with young children also seeking to
benefit from this programme. This is not about politics. We all want to have
thriving businesses,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki dismissed
criticism from leaders who have questioned the adequacy of the NYOTA grant,
saying the initiative is a vital starting point for youth empowerment.
“If you think the money is small, we will give what we are
able to give now. Go and look for more money and add to what the government is
giving the youth,” Kindiki said.