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"id": 199431,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/199431/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. ole Metito",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Youth Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 199,
"legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
"slug": "judah-ole-metito"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute in support of this Motion. First, I would like to congratulate the Ministry officials and other stakeholders who came together and drafted such a wonderful Sessional Paper. The National Youth Policy visualises a society where the youth have an equal opportunity, as other citizens, to realise their full potential. They will productively participate in economic, social, political, cultural and religious lives without fear or favour. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are many issues that affect the youth of this country. But I just want to mention three of them namely: Employment, education and governance. Those are among the issues that this Sessional Paper aims to address. When we talk about employment, there has not been equity in distributing employment opportunities in this country. When the Minister was moving this Motion, he said that the youth in this country constitute about 75 per cent of the population. It is also worth noting that, out of the 500,000 youths who leave schools, be it colleges or universities, only 25 per cent get absorbed in the job market. That leaves out 75 per cent unabsorbed or unemployed. While we appreciate that there are very limited employment opportunities, it is also worth noting that there has not been equity in distributing the very few job opportunities in our market. That is why only 25 per cent of the youth are employed annually. There has been a lot of discrimination based on age. When someone applies for a job, he or she is told that they must be, for example, 40 years and above. There has also been discrimination based on experience. When someone applies for a job, he or she is told that they must have five or ten years of experience. One cannot get the experience without having a job at hand. There has been discrimination based on gender and political affiliation. But this Sessional Paper, if it is adopted and approved by this House, aims at distributing those job opportunities equitably. It also aims at streamlining the accessibility to the principle of equal opportunities and equitable distribution of services and resources. It is, therefore, good to support this document because it promotes that access to both social and economic opportunities for the youth. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, a lot has been said about education. Some youths in this country do not have the necessary skills because of some reasons. Some of them drop out of school because of poverty and lack of school fees. If this Sessional Paper is adopted by this House--- It will come up with a curriculum. We are told that the country's training institutions are not only inadequate, but also lack the essential facilities and technology to prepare students for the challenging market demands. We all know that some colleges and training institutions have mushroomed. Those institutions have taken the advantage of shortage of training opportunities. They are exploiting the desperate youths. This Sessional Paper aims to develop a curriculum that will address the problems affecting the youths. That way, they will attain market-oriented skills that are required for job absorption. The Sessional Paper is advocating for quality and affordable education at primary, October 17, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4595 secondary, technical and even university levels. It will address the issue of students not completing their education because of lack of fees due to poverty. It is also good because it is promoting the exchange of information, knowledge and human resource between public and private institutions. The courses that are being offered in those training institutions are actually market-oriented. They are up to date. One is able to attain the skills that are required in public and private institutions. It will also improve the existing training facilities for the youth. Some of our training institutions have got outdated facilities that are no longer important in training our youth. That is why the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs has embarked on a programme of reviving youth polytechnics and providing them with modern facilities for technical training at that level. It is also good to note that some of our children, especially the girl-child, really drop out of school because of pregnancies. Others drop out of school because of lack of fees. We have not been having a re-admission system that allows a girl who has become pregnant to pick from where she left. This policy document really calls for the re-admission of girls who drop out of schools due to pregnancies and others reasons. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, our youths are not involved in formulating and reviewing our education and training policy. This policy document will ensure that, that is done. There is total inclusiveness and participation in terms of formulation and reviewing of education curriculums for training institutions. The students will actually be called upon to give their views on what they would wish to see implemented in their curriculum activities. It is also good that this document calls for the scrutiny of private training institutions, to ensure they meet the required academic and technical standards. That way, we will protect our youth from exploitation by private institutions that have mushroomed to take advantage of desperate youths. They exploit them and they are already poor. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other issue I would like to talk about briefly is on governance. In terms of governance, we are talking about decision-making at all levels. The youth of this country have not been given the opportunity to participate in making decisions in this country. This Sessional Paper seeks to promote the values of good governance. That is a just and tolerant society that promotes transparency, accountability, a spirit of nationhood and patriotism. I just want to pick the spirit of nationhood and patriotism. That is what is very core in terms of good governance in this country. If you look at the way things are happening now, that nationhood and patriotism is not there because there has been a lot of tribalism, ethnicity, nepotism and other things that cannot give the youth of this country an opportunity to exercise their constitutional right and get involved in such levels of decision making for this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Paper is advocating for a just and transparent framework where the youth of this country can be accommodated in governance levels without necessarily considering issues of tribalism, ethnicity and nepotism. Even at the political level, it is good that the youth of this country are also given space in political activities. I urge that they get affirmative action when it comes to political activities. Some of the proposals I have in mind that could be taken into account as affirmative action with regard to political activities is that, when it comes to nomination for political seats, be it civic or parliamentary, it is good that the youth of this country be considered and several seats reserved for them. As it is now, political parties do not give a chance to the youth in terms of nomination. The political field has become an all-rich activity in this country. For one to participate in the civic or parliamentary elections in all political parties, they are asking for Kshs100,000 nomination fees, others are asking for Kshs150,000 while others are asking for Kshs1 million for one to be considered for such a position. If you look at the youth in this country, that is people who are 35 years old and below, I do not think they can afford such enormous fees. That is tantamount to leaving them out completely of that field. So, it is good that political parties consider the youth 4596 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 17, 2007 by asking them to pay less nomination fees to those political parties. I just want to conclude by saying that the Ministry's vision is to see a responsible and empowered youth building a better Kenya. The youth of this country should be given that space so that the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs can create such an environment, where we can have a responsible and empowered youth, building a better Kenya. That is only possible if the leaders of today stop telling the youth that they are the leaders of tomorrow. If the leaders of today stop using the youth of this country for political gain and give them that space to exercise their constitutional right, we shall see a responsible and empowered youth, building a better Kenya. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}