Members of the Lamu youth assembly have urged the new county government to adhere to their election pledge of creating job and business opportunities to tackle unemployment.
Speaking to the media after their first sitting at the former Lamu county assembly building in Amu Island, their president Habib Ali Shee urged Governor Issa Timamy’s administration to stick to its pledge of facilitating jobs and tender opportunities for youths.
“A lot of youths are currently jobless and even those who have a foot into doing business are being stifled by the prohibitive license fees that they have to pay to the county government,” he said.
Shee said that with the nomination of Timamy as the chairman of the Blue Economy committee means the county stands a chance to benefit from Blue Economy-centred funds and grants that the national government has set up to improve the country’s inland and ocean fishing sector.
The national government, in conjunction with the European Union, has from last year pumped Sh3.5 billion to finance hundreds of Blue Economy-related projects in the six coastal counties.
Shee, while flanked by other members of the Lamu youth assembly, said that there is need for more Blue Economy courses to be added at the county TVETs in readiness for youths taking up jobs at the Lamu port that was commissioned last year.
His sentiments were echoed by the Lamu youth assembly Speaker Mohammed Skanda who urged the county to lobby the national government to pump in more funds towards the LAPSSET project in a bid to enhance its viability for residents.
“LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority needs to address the 600 scholarship opportunities that the Kibaki administration promised Lamu youths,” Skanda said.
The CBO official also said that the county needs to address the lack of stadiums in the county, despite there being regular funding towards the sports sector.
“Lamu’s footballing talent is wasting away because we lack a regular football league where scouts can come and see our gifted players,” he said.
Barsuba representative Mohammed Kitete said that Lamu youth assembly would play an active role in putting all elected leaders to account for their election pledges, especially those made towards the addressing the plights of youths.
“Lamu youths form the biggest voting constituency, and their needs have to addressed, especially when it comes to affirmative action opportunities,” Kitete said.
He asked the county to expand its enterprise fund initiative of giving grants to youth groups in order create business opportunities for more young people within the county.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
