The government has a huge task of creating five million jobs for jobless young people, Public Service, Youth and Gender CS Margaret Kobia has said.
The state is only able to create employment for only 850,000 youth, she said. President Uhuru Kenyatta in his campaign pledge promised to create one million jobs annually for skilled young people.
“Unemployment is a huge challenge for youths due to lack of skills for the job market. They are unable to engage productively in economic activities," Kobia said.
"Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data of 2017 shows 4.3 million youth between 18 and 35 years are unemployed. Most of them have gone to school until Form Four."
Kobia spoke on Friday at Kinoru Stadium during the graduation of 100 youths trained in ICT and entrepreneurial skills by the Chandaria Youth Empowerment Programme.
She urged young people to research and explore opportunities created by the Big Four agenda.
To address unemployment, the state is developing a policy and is carrying out sensitisation for the youth to get government funds, Kobia said.
The CS said the youth face problems such as lack of capital and how to establish, market and run a business.
Kobia told youths to join technical vocational training centre to acquire skills and start their own small and medium enterprises. She also advised them to form groups and apply for government funds.
She said the national government must continue to provide and increase opportunities for the youth who qualify to join higher institutions of learning.
“As Government we consider the high youth population a national asset. We continue to facilitate youth training in Government programmes such as the National Youth Service, National Industrial Training Authority and the Ajira Digital Programme among others," Kobia said.
The CS told jobless youth not to lose hope but to focus for a better future tomorrow.
