• Prof Akama says the country's labour market needs skilled people.
• He says youths with good grades should capitalise on short courses offered by universities and technical colleges to equip themselves.
Image: FILE
Kisii University vice chancellor John Akama wants the youth in South Nyanza to capitalise on the institution's proximity to advance their studies.
Speaking to the Star in his office, Akama said continual efforts must be directed to ensuring students who complete high school are properly skilled for the future. He said the country's labour market needs skilled people.
“We must confront the future with a people well tooled and having sufficient labour skills. Kenya's growth is in direct proportion with the efforts we are putting to equip our young people,” Prof Akama said.
He said youths with good grades should capitalise on short courses offered by universities and technical colleges to equip themselves and develop their capacity.
Already the government has provided enough funds for education and it is up to the youth to grasp the opportunity to study, he said.
“Kenya wants to industrialise itself, yet without youths with knowledge and proper technical skills this cannot be realised,” he said.
Prof Akama also noted a decline in book learning, especially among the youth, due to the influence of social media.
“We are in a dangerous phase where book learning does not appear fashionable and students are constantly glued to social media. While social media has its place, we should not abdicate books,” he said.
He said low scientific discoveries are due to low scholarship.
“The country needs to have scientists, but this cannot be realised when we are running away from books.”
Weighing in on the rising cases of defilement in the region, he called for measures to stop it from getting out of hand. He blamed it on substance abuse and idleness.
The youth should avoid idleness if they are to escape from the constant temptations to commit evil, he said.
Akama said there are beckoning opportunities that the youth should capitalise on, instead of roaming in the markets.
“Let our young people engage themselves in any economic activity near them, being a pandemic period they can get some financial gain,” he said.
The county has experienced a surge in defilement in the recent past, sparking worries among leaders. Chiefs have been blamed for their laxity.
Akama, however, appealed to the chiefs to ensure no culprit is shielded from facing justice.
“Chiefs can only be a force for the good if they defend the rule of law,” he said.
Similar sentiments were issued by senatorial aspirant Okeng'o Nyambane who urged security agencies to act tough on errant chiefs protecting rape suspects.
He also asked the church to help inculcate virtues in the youth.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris