SPEECH BY HON. DR. PAUL OTUOMA, EGH, MP, MINISTER FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS DURING THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN KENYA AT SAROVA PANAFRIC HOTEL ON 16 TH

Transcription

1 SPEECH BY HON. DR. PAUL OTUOMA, EGH, MP, MINISTER FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS DURING THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN KENYA AT SAROVA PANAFRIC HOTEL ON 16 TH NOVEMBER,

2 Kwame Owino, the CEO, Institute of Economic Affairs, Dr. Peter Oesterdiekhoff, Resident Representative, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Permanent secretary, Ministry of Labour, Representative from OPM, The Private sector, Government Officers present, Invited Guests, 2

3 Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel greatly honoured to address this important gathering on this important and thorny issue of Youth Employment in Kenya. According to the 2009 National Population and Housing Census, Kenya s population is 38 million, out of which 14 million are youth aged between 15 and 35 years. The labour force stands at more than 40% of the total population, out of which 67% are youth. With an increasing young labour force, coupled with low economic growth rate, it means that only 25% of the economically active labour force is gainfully absorbed in the labour market. This leaves the majority (i.e. 75% of the labour force) translating to approximately 500, 000 youth annually joining the labour market unemployed. 3

4 Out of the currently unemployed working age population in Kenya, 72 % are under age 30 while 51 % are under age 24. Clearly, unemployment in Kenya is a youth problem. Ladies and Gentlemen, Majority of unemployed youth have formal education but no vocational skills training. Both primary and secondary school graduates account for 82% of the unemployed, while university graduates account for 1.4%. Out of the total unemployed, 92% have no job training other than formal schooling. This means that unemployment is not just about limited employment opportunities but also lack of employable skills. 4

5 Slow economic growth, stagnation and even recession in global economies means that the formal economy cannot create jobs at the levels that the growing demography of young people in the country demands. Further, the 2007/8 post election violence, followed by increased global food and oil prices have slowed down government efforts of scaling up measures for youth employment. Lack of decent work exposes young people to high level of economic uncertainty. A generation without hope for a decent employment can be a problem for families, the country and society at large. 5

6 Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a fact that youth unemployment in Kenya presents both an obstacle and an opportunity to achieving Vision 2030 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is undeniable that the youth themselves constitute an asset to the nation and it is not an understatement to state that what Kenya becomes tomorrow depends on how it harnesses the potential of young people today. It is in recognition of this that the Government through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has and is formulating policies, various programmes and projects aimed at addressing youth unemployment in the country. These include: 6

7 i) The Kenya National Youth Policy The policy visualizes a society where youth have an equal opportunity as other citizens to realize their fullest potential through productive participation in economic, social, political, cultural and religious life. The Policy addresses the following nine priority areas in youth development: Youth employment; Youth empowerment and participation; Education and training; Information and Communication Technology; Youth Health, Crime and Drugs; Youth and Environment; 7

8 Youth Leisure, Recreation and Community Service; and Sports promotion and Development. One of the outcomes of the Kenya National Youth Policy was to put in place strategies to address youth unemployment as a result of the youth bulge. A policy document, Youth Employment Marshall Plan aimed at creating 500,000 new jobs for young people every year has been developed. 8

9 ii) Kazi Kwa Vijana Programme (Jobs for Youth) The Government of Kenya initiated Kazi Kwa Vijana (KKV) as an economic stimulus programme in the year 2008 to spur economic growth through engaging young people in productive activities for pay. The Government has spent about Kshs 5 billion in this programme, which has benefited over 306,000 by end of 2010 countrywide. MOYAS is involved in the Trees for jobs component of the Kazi Kwa Vijana programme. The programme is being coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister and is being implemented by line Ministries involved in labour intensive projects in an effort to mainstream youth employment in the public sector. Indeed the design of Kazi Kwa Vijana programme (KKV) Phase 1, already under implementation, was well informed by the Kenya Youth Employment Marshal Plan (KYEMP). 9

10 The experiences of this Programe have given rise to the current Pilot Kenya Youth Empowerment Programe jointly funded by Government of Kenya and the World Bank. iii) Youth training and skills development (a) The National Youth Service The National Youth service trains Servicemen and women on various Technical and Vocational courses at artisan, craft and diploma levels. Currently the Service trains 4500 young people annually and there are plans to increase the intake to 15, 000 young people by the year Entrepreneurship is a mandatory course offered to all trainees. 10

11 The Kenya National Youth Service has successfully implemented development projects that include construction of roads, airstrips, dams, water canals, disaster management and other relief operations through their trainees. (b) Youth Polytechnics The Government of Kenya realized that long term solution to unemployment lies in the equipping of young people with Technical and Vocational skills. MOYAS is currently reviving and equipping Youth Polytechnics all over the country. 210 model Youth Polytechnics will be constructed in the 210 constituencies. Enrolment in the Polytechnics stand at 75,000 and is projected to rise to 300,000 by the year Entrepreneurship and ICT are mandatory in the Polytechnic Curriculum. 11

12 iv) Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) The Youth Enterprise Development Fund was created in The Fund has so far disbursed over Kshs. 5 billion to over 144,000 youth enterprises. The fund has also facilitated entrepreneurship training for youth, marketing of youth enterprises products and services, provision of commercial infrastructure, and facilitating youth employment in the international labour market. v) Youth Empowerment Centres The government is building Youth Empowerment Centres in every constituency for youth to access ICT infrastructure, recreation, fighting drug abuse, and providing counselling and health services, training in music and performing arts, providing basic literacy and continuing education for school leavers. 12

13 So far, 105 Youth Empowerment Centres have been constructed at a cost of Kshs 670 million, 50 of which have been completed while 20 have been equipped. vi) Youth Employment Scheme Jobs for Unemployed and Marginalised Young People (YES- JUMP) This project was initiated in 2009 and is being implemented jointly by the government of Kenya and ILO. YES-JUMP is a project which aims to facilitate and support skills training, updating and enhancing apprenticeship programmes, technical and financial support to local job creation schemes, sustainable livelihood, strengthening small enterprises and youth cooperatives. 13

14 The fund has so far benefited 1,000 youth businesses and provided institutional capacity building for selected grass root partners. The entrepreneurship facility is worth Kshs. 10 million. vii) Entrepreneurship training for youth out of school The programme targets out of school youth with entrepreneurship information in order to empower them to become better partners and catalysts of the development process. The programme also aims at enhancing youth contribution and influence in the economic sector by increasing their ownership of the means and factors of production and income generation activities through capacity building and provision of technical support and enhancing youth businesses. About 30,000 youth benefit annually from this programme. 14

15 viii) Youth and ICT Development MOYAS has given prominence to ICT in addressing rampant unemployment. The Government, through the Ministry of Information and Communication is setting digital villages in every constituency. This initiative has seen the establishment of call centres and business outsourcing enterprises around the country which is expected to create additional 100,000 jobs in the next few years. ix) Sports and recreation programmes The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports plans to increase public investment in sports and recreation through raising awareness and participation, 15

16 improvement in the standards of sports and increasing allocation of funds for participation in international championships. The Government has channeled funding to every constituency countrywide to promote sporting activities. A sports Bill to regulate the sector is at the AG s office. The Bill provides for establishment of an International Sports Academy and a Sports Lottery Fund to fund sporting activities. 16

17 v) The National Youth Talent Academy The Ministry with support from UNICEF has established the National Youth talent Academy and Regional Talent Academies across the country to identify, develop and nurture youth talent to enable them earn livelihoods from them. xi) Affirmative action policy for youth In order to provide opportunities for youth, the government declared that 30% appointment of representation, management and development committees, political, social and economic sectors be allocated to the youth. Further, 10% of public procurement has been reserved for youth enterprises. We only need to put proper structures foe effective implementation of this policy. 17

18 Ladies and Gentlemen, There are various challenges we need to address in tackling youth employment in the country. These include: Our education system that produces graduates who are neither properly equipped for entry to the job market nor possess the necessary life skills; Lack of harmonization of various programmes by other Governmnet Ministries, youth organizations and NGOs; Health issues -especially youth reproductive health and HIV and AIDS; Poverty; 18

19 Youth bulge; Socio-cultural practices; Ladies and Gentlemen, The following are suggested measures to address these challenges: 1. The Kenya National Youth Council Act 2009 The ministry has come up with the National Youth council Act. The Act provides for the establishment of the National Youth Council (NYC), which will provide young people with a forum for articulating their issues right from sub-location to national level in addition to providing opportunity for developing youth leadership structures. 19

20 2. The Constitution and youth employment Under the Kenyan Constitution, article 55 recognizes the need for the State to take measures, including affirmative action programmes, to ensure that the youth: Access relevant education and training; Have opportunities to associate, be represented and participate in political, socioeconomic and other spheres of life; Access employment; and, Are protected against harmful cultural practices and exploitation. 20

21 3. Public Private Partnership (PPP) There is need to intensify Public Private Partnerships in an effort to address the daunting challenge of youth unemployment. We are already doing this with KEPSA under the World Bank funded Kenya Youth Empowerment Programme (KYEP). 4. Youth Entrepreneurship There is need to strengthen the formation of Youth Entrepreneurship Clubs in Learning Institutions, encourage formation of youth SACCOS in addition to building entrepreneurship culture among the Kenyan Youth. 21

22 Ladies and Gentlemen, The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in its mandate to better the lives of young people in Kenya, collaborates with other Government Ministries and the private sector in providing services to the Youth. They include: Ministries of Education; Higher Education, Science and Technology; Trade; Industry; Labour; Cooperatives Development and Marketing; and Agriculture and Livestock. MOYAS appreciates the role that has been played by Kenya Scout Association; Kenya Girl Guides Association, Presidential Award Scheme; The Kenya Private Sector Alliance; Junior Achievement; Kenya Institute of Business Training, Kenya Youth Business Trust; Kenya Community Development Association; Enablis; Technoserve; Small and Medium Enterprise 22

23 Programme; One Stop Youth Resource Centre and many other youth serving and youth led organizations for fostering entrepreneurial culture and promoting youth owned enterprises. Finally, I thank the Institute of Economic Affairs and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung for organizing this conference which has provided a platform to exchange views among stakeholders on ways of addressing youth unemployment in the country. I hope deliberation from this workshop will provide a framework for improving and enhancing efforts in youth employment in Kenya. Thank You 23