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{
    "id": 365306,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/365306/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 286,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Prof.) Nyikal",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity. I must start by congratulating Hon. (Ms.) Juma for this. May I just say this: Neglect of the youth and youth unemployment is perhaps the greatest threat to development of this country? At the time of Independence, we said we had three enemies; ignorance, disease and poverty. I know over time we have added two; corruption and tribalism and unless we do something, we are going to have a sixth one which is neglect and unemployment amongst the youth. We seem like we are scared. We treat the issues of the youth as a problem. The youth are the greatest resource and potential for development of this country. See what they have done in the ICT. We have not really enabled, empowered and facilitated our youth to take part in the agricultural industry even in value addition. Those are areas if we look at, they can really employ the youth. As an hon. Member said, our youth are coming out to be employed. We have not facilitated and empowered them to be employers. This has led to great exploitation of our youth in politics. I do not have to say that because we know it. In drug trafficking, they are victims and couriers at the same time. In terrorism, you know what has happened to the young people and even in the formal industry, they are now being used as non-paid interns and volunteers. Even Government institutions in the health sector have young people working; trained, qualified young people working without payment because they are interns. I think we must stop this. The efforts we have made like the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) the Kazi kwa Vijana and the empowerment centers that we have put in place have really not worked. It is my contention that this is because we have not included youth participation and there can be no bigger participation of the youth than operationalising and putting funds in the NYC. Let us do that and we will see what the youth will do in mobilizing the youth fund and those empowerment centers and looking at areas where they can take part in the development of this country. We see in the Budget or the appropriate Ministry that a lot of money has been put in. I do not understand where you will put Kshs458 million for youth development if there is no funding for NYC. I think Kshs100 million to Kshs200 million of that money can be safely moved and put in the operationalisation of NYC. We have no option but to operationalise NYC. Even during the public hearings, this matter came up on and on and we promised Kshs6 billion. We must get money somewhere and operationalise it. I am also concerned that it is not clear that the youth agenda is now going to be a department and we are saying that we are going to streamline. Even if you want to streamline an issue, there must be a concrete well funded department that looks at that issue and in this case, it is the youth. Therefore, I have looked at this Budget and I am worried that youth issues will be lost. I think if we have this Council working, they will ensure that it is not lost. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}