State has disbursed Sh12 billion for Youth Fund, Oguna says

More than 1.9 million youth have so far benefited from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund.

The project focuses on creation of job opportunities for the youth through enterprise development, facilitating credit access and assisting the youth to secure jobs outside the country.

Since its inception in 2007, some Sh12.8 billion has already been disbursed, with 26,015 youth having been assisted to secure job opportunities outside Kenya.

Government spokesperson Cryus Oguna on Saturday said Sh6 billion has been disbursed to youth groups under the Constituency Youth Empowerment Scheme.

The project offers group loans for youth with start-ups.

“Contracts worth Sh88 billion have been given to youth under the the access to government procurement opportunities initiative. All pending bills will be paid by end of this financial year,” Oguna said.

Under the Uwezo Fund, Sh5.97 billion has so far been approved, and 227,000 individual youth benefiting with Sh2.2 billion having been directly paid to youth.

Cumulatively, 63,350 groups have benefited, 22,000 being youth groups.

“One thousand three hundred youth have so far gone through the presidential digital talent development youth programme,” the government spokesperson said.

The programme is designed to secure internships and provide mentor-ship for youth.

On the other hand the spokesperson said only five youth have benefittd from the studio mashinani project which aims to provide facilities for recording and arts for talented youth.

So far, there are five studios in four counties, two in Nairobi and one in Kisumu, Mombasa and Machakos.

The government aims to establish such studios in all the 47 counties so that in case there is any youth with a project but lacks funds, they can go there and do the recording.

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