- Seven-year tax holidays for youth-owned businesses, better Helb terms, and a youth commission headline Raila's promise to young Kenyans.
- ODM boss also speaks of reengineering National Youth Service to spread its tentacles across the country.
Job creation, tax holidays, increasing HELB loan, creating a stand-alone ministry for youth and establishing boda boda fund are part of Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s 17 point agenda for the youth.
The ODM leader, in a blueprint released on Sunday, appears keen on reviving gains for young people that were lost in the Building Bridges Initiative.
Raila has proposed to create a Youth Commission to “advance the participation of the youth in all spheres of public and private life”.
He has also pledged to establish a standalone Ministry of Youth Affairs promising youth jobs in the next government.
"Creating opportunities, particularly jobs, for these young people is the biggest challenge this country has to deal with going into the future," Raila said, describing Kenya as a "young people's country".
Raila further seeks to redesign, revamp, and re-launch access to government procurement opportunities—famed as AGPO, for more young people to get state tenders.
In this respect, Raila vouched for the transfer of the AGPO administration from the National Treasury to the Youth Affairs ministry.
“When the youth make up 75 per cent of our population, it beats logic to have an institution that is meant to help them placed at National Treasury, under a small toothless secretariat.”
“AGPO belongs to the ministry responsible for youth affairs. Parliament needs to change the AGPO Act,” he said.
Youth owned businesses or companies with AGPO certification benefits from tenders reserved for the youth.
The ODM leader seeks to reengineer the National Youth Service and have its campuses spread across the 47 counties to tap more youth for induction into public service.
If elected into office, Raila says he will increase higher education loans to reflect the cost of living, get rid of interest rates for HELB loans and ensure that graduates are not listed with CRB for the loan default.
Raila says his team would also increase and expand provision of bursaries in tertiary institutions to reflect the reality of the cost of living.
His administration, he pledged, would also provide 10,000 internship opportunities every year under the Kenya National Youth Internship Programme.
"Design a policy for youth leaders programme, both global and local by supporting 1,000 youths every year with paid internship in the UN and other international agencies across the world to enable them grow and be infused with the best practices by developed countries," Raila said.
“This age group can bring limitless opportunities to our country but only if they are trained and then provided with opportunities to implement their knowledge and skills,” the ODM leader said.
As was in the BBI promise, the ODM leader says his administration would also provide 7-year tax holidays for youth-owned micro, small and medium enterprises.
The aim, he said, is to minimise taxation of new and small youth-owned businesses, further promising tax incentives for companies that offer jobs to the youth.
“This tax holiday must be a reality but that is just a start. We want real action and not just policies on paper to enable young people to start and stay in business,” Raila said.
If elected, the ODM leader says his team would establish a National Boda Boda Fund as well as put up local Boda Boda Assembly Units for building motorbikes.
“This is to make them (motorbikes) available and affordable and support the potential of 2.4 million riders,” the plan reads.
To end the abuse of youths in foreign countries where millions run for jobs, the ODM leader says his administration would work on a jobs immigration programme to deal with such cases.
Raila’s plan is to review the quality of jobs offered to the Kenyan youth abroad and ensure the security of young Kenyans taking up such jobs as well as make the process friendly, transparent and accountable.
On NYS, the bid is to expand its presence through collaboration with the county governments and “put it in charge of mandatory induction and community services across the country.”
In line with his earlier promise for rural industries, Raila has pledged to revamp industries in the 47 counties for Made in Kenya products.
“The aim is to provide employment opportunities for the youth and make use of and perfect their skills. Kicotec by Kitui county government would provide the guidance needed in this direction,” Raila said.
To instil positive values among the youth, the ODM leader says there would be plans to “facilitate generational mentorship and integration of African traditional values with contemporary youth lifestyles.”
Part of the ODM leader’s plan is to also create Youth One Stop Shops to provide strategic and youth-focused services.
The centres would ensure access to ICT, entrepreneurship training, and guidance and counselling on drugs and substance abuse as well as HIV prevention.
If elected, Raila’s administration would maintain a data bank on skilled youth and source support for the group.
He pledges to “extend specific incentives to SMEs ran by craftsmen and artisans and ensure that their passions become professions, industries and jobs.”
The ODM leader further seeks to roll out a youth leaders programme supporting 1,000 youth every year with paid internships in the UN and other international agencies.
Raila also plans to provide free internet across the country and establish ICT centres that would offer professional guidance services for youth to access internet for jobs and other opportunities.
-Edited by SKanyara