• The President said the Government introduced the Competency-Based Curriculum to better align the education system with the changing needs of today’s youth.
•Uhuru also affirmed his Administration’s commitment to remain true to the spirit of Article 55 of the Constitution.
Image: PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday joined youths in Kwale county in marking the International Youth Day.
In his address, Uhuru recognised the vital role played by education in creating the platforms upon which the youth explore and develop their skills and talents, acquire knowledge and competencies for a lifetime.
He said Kenya has emerged as a continental leader in the deployment of empowering youth education.
"We lead Africa in primary-to-secondary school transition rates, having realized 100% transition last year," Uhuru said.
The President said the Government introduced the Competency-Based Curriculum to better align the education system with the changing needs of today’s youth, as well as the new realities and opportunities of a 21st-century world.
He said that in these centres of excellence, cutting-edge training in areas such as robotics and Artificial Intelligence allows secondary schools to help mould the next generation of giants in the Digital Economy.
"We expect to see soon world-class innovations being developed by young Kenyans that will revolutionise the world," he added.
The President said that he is pleased to see that the ministry concerned with matters of Youth has commenced an ambitious plan to refurbish and operationalize a total of 152 Youth Empowerment Centres (YECs) across the country.
"These centres act as ‘one-stop shops’, where youth can access key services as well as acquire skills for their personal development," he said.
"Twenty-one of these are already fully operational, with another 60 to be fully functioning by the end of 2019."
The President said that he expects each and every young person in the country to be able to utilise the services available within these centres to access online opportunities, acquire new skills and competencies.
Further, he said that the services provided in these centres will enable the youth to build collaborative networks with like-minded enterprising youth in Kenya and internationally, receive training and mentorship.
Since 2013, the President said his administration has implemented a progressive agenda for the youth that has focused on assisting them in accessing financial resources to drive their dreams.
"One of these is the Young Africa Works Programme launched a few weeks in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation aims to create more than 2 million jobs in the next 5 years," the President reiterated.
The President also urged the youth to take up the ‘MbeleNaBiz’ Business Plan Competition under the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project.
"MbeleNaBiz aims to expand new and existing youth-led enterprises by providing them with grant funding and/or business plan training. I encourage all youth with the entrepreneurial talent to take advantage and utilise these and other similar government initiatives to prosper," Uhuru added.
The President also affirmed his Administration’s commitment to remain true to the spirit of Article 55 of the Constitution and make every effort to ensure the youth realise their full potential and participate effectively in the advancement of the social, economic and political agenda of the Nation.