• Youth Enterprise Development Fund has so far released Sh12.8 billion to empower more than 1.15 million youth.
• Women Enterprise Fund has channelled out the highest amount of affirmative cash.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
More than 2.7 million youth, women and people living with disability have benefited from the Sh34.7 billion the government has so far disbursed.
The resolving cash was disbursed to individuals and groups through the Uwezo Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund and Women Enterprise Fund.
Data released by the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender headed by Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia shows Women Enterprise Fund has channelled out the highest amount of the affirmative cash.
The Fund has so far disbursed Sh16 billion to 1.6 million women in 100,174 groups since its inception in August 2007. Last year alone, the Fund gave out Sh1.7 billion to women across the country.
Youth Enterprise Development Fund has so far released Sh12.8 billion to empower more than 1.15 million youth.
“The fund has benefited 1,159,393 youth. Fund provided business services training to 583,045 youth,” the statement containing the ministry’s key achievements last year reads.
YEDF, also established in 2007 to enable youths to open and expand their business to empower themselves economically, disbursed Sh323 million last year alone.
Some 63,682 youth groups have so far benefited from the Sh5.9 billion that Uwezo Fund has so far released. Last year alone, it disbursed Sh105 million to the vulnerable group.
Further, 20,661 youth have acquired job-specific skills through the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP) that is currently being implemented in four ministries and 17 counties.
So far, more than 12,300 of those trained have secured jobs, 8,490 have received grants to small businesses and 499 have received business development services.
“As part of its contribution to the government agenda, the State Department of Youth engaged 47,250 youth in food production and 48,250 youth in planting trees through the Planting Our Future programme,” the statement reads.
It further notes that 16,850 servicemen and women recruits were trained in paramilitary through the National Youth Service Programme and deployed to NYS Field Units and other government agencies to undertake national service duties.
“Further, 31,500 servicemen and women were enrolled into TVET institutions in partnership with NYS,” the ministry says.
Last year, the ministry also embarked on equipping, refurbishing and transforming 20 Youth Empowerment Centres into centres of excellence to creatively engage the youth and tap their talents.
According to the data, the number of Kenyans seeking and accessing government services at Huduma Centres increased from 600,000 in 2017-18 to more than 2.3 million last year.
“County services are now among the 114 public services currently available at the 52 Huduma Centres. More than 20 million customers have been served across the 47 counties,” it says.
The document also shows that 3,607 civil servants were promoted last year following the review of the staffing capacity in the ministries, departments and agencies carried out by the department of public service.
Edited by R.Wamochie