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"id": 189892,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/189892/?format=api",
"text_counter": 171,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. ole Metito",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Regional Development Authorities",
"speaker": {
"id": 199,
"legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
"slug": "judah-ole-metito"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to say that for a nation like ours - this great Kenya - with such a very rich diversity of youth, we require youth development in all shapes and sizes. This is the very critical aspect, where we need the public-private partnership in youth development. All should contribute! When we talk of youth development, or empowerment, we are talking of not only the skills which emanate from academic qualifications. It is also important that we even get adults who can act as tutors and mentors to bring up the young persons, because even the issue of character is very important. If we are not to witness what we saw in the recent past, in the beginning of this year; mostly the youth were used to do some things that are not good for this country. We need to start from school-going youth, who are 15 years and above. We need to mentor the character of the young person. Therefore, the reason why I talk of private-public partnership in youth development is because we can have a school at the grassroots level partnering with a community-based organisation that can keep its doors open up to late in the evening, even up to 10.00 p.m. This will provide all the youth with very safe environment, a supervised place where they can undertake their homework and support activities, physical and mental health services, taken care of. We also need to develop and nurture the young person with regard to leadership. We would like to see some leadership institutions, or academies, where we can have leadership development programmes that are offered to the youth from all walks of life; it would be a place where they can sit, relate to one another as individuals and build their skills as a group. It is also good to see the need for the central Government to engage the youth in the policy-making process through youth councils and positions in Government departments. I would like to believe that the Ministry is going to use some of its allocated resources in the Budget to develop youth councils and institutions and lobby the central Government to ensure that the youth are engaged in all policy- making institutions. The private sector should employ the youth in meaningful and relevant institutions or work. This is the support! What we are saying is that the youth need the support, opportunities and quality services for them to develop this nation. This should be made a rule for all youth rather than an exception. In line with Vision 2030, I would advise the Minister that youth empowerment is a very essential objective. About 38 per cent of our country's population comprise of the youth. Therefore, youth empowerment is actually a good goal in sustainable development that can be achieved. We must empower the youths in this country. We would like to see them as vanguards of our future. Actually heirs of this nation and partners in our quest for development. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when it comes to business oriented-activities that could easily help the youths, if we venture into the agricultural sector, entrepreneurship and sports clinics for the youths all over the country, it could help in youth development and empowerment. In the past, I have seen the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports reach out to the youths and involve them in motivating and challenging programmes, trying to bring out the best out of them. Last year, the Ministry had a business competition plan with the slogan of \"Believe, Begin and Become\", which helped many youths to start their own businesses. If this could be modelled into an annual national students' art competition, it could boost a number of our artistes. This event should be done annually to tap in their potential. I believe that this Ministry can come up with activities which can make our youths to become very engaged, not only at the grassroots-level, but also at the national level. Regarding promotion of sports clinics, the Ministry has allocated Kshs1 million per constituency for sports activities. First of all, I would like to thank the Government for shielding our athletes from double taxation. The Ministry can actually 1768 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 10, 2008 tap that talent of our current champions in athletics, soccer, boxing, basketball and other sports, to train our future stars in the respective fields of sports. We should come up with structures that can ensure proper utilisation of the Kshs1 million sports kitty in each constituency. The Ministry could come up with regulations to guide the disbursement of the money and the activities that can be undertaken using that Kshs1 million. It may be a small amount of money, but it is a good start. That will really strengthen the youths' programmes and cease to engage in retrogressive activities. Even their health and well being will improve. We need to have the youths engaged. Above all, the most common problem of youths in this country is unemployment. If we do not come up with programmes that can give our young people opportunities to work, and be absorbed in all Government agencies, departments and the private sector, we will be treating the systems of the problem and not the real problem. This is a cross-cutting Ministry. The issues affecting the youths are related to education, health, environment, et cetera . That is why I said the youths issue needs an integrated approach, whereby all the Ministries can come together---"
}