Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki has called for close collaboration with county governments in order to expand employment opportunities for young people across the 47 devolved units.
Speaking during the conclusion of the 9th Devolution Conference held in Homa Bay County Prof. Kindiki the partnership would target execution of key priority projects which the two level on governments are jointly exploring to implement as a move aimed at creating job opportunities for the youth.
“The National Government will be reaching out to County Governments to activate a joint plan to enhance our youth targeted interventions. The young people of Kenya have expressed their reservations with the Government’s speed and efficiency in executing the agenda for job creation and the enhancement of income opportunities,” said the Deputy President.
Among priority projects being implemented include the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPS) which are being constructed across all the 47 counties in partnership with the National Government through the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry.
Under the CAIP programme, the government is targeting to operationalize CAIPs in 14 counties, 26 in phase two and 7 in phase three.
Each county is expected to inject Ksh 250 million in the parks, with the National Government matching the same in a bid to advance counties’ agro-processing, industrial capacity and create jobs especially for the youth and women.
“The youth will play a major role in Kenya’s transformation by actively participating in developing innovative solutions to societal problems. The Government does not intend to brush over the concerns raised. Instead, securing spaces for dialogue and continuous consultation is paramount to reinstating trust in the institutions of Government,” he added.
This comes as the government commits to ensuring counties receive timely transfer of resources from the national government.
“For the first time, we were able to transfer all the resources in terms of shareable revenue to the 47 counties before the end of the financial year 2024/25 including the arrears from the previous year. Last Monday, we managed to transfer the July allocation to our counties,” said John Mbadi, Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury and Economic Planning.
According to Council of Governors Chairperson and Wajir County Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, this years’ conference has provided a platform for counties to share critical insights which will inform counties’ strategies and future policy interventions
“What has been clear throughout this conference is that devolution is not just a governance system. It is an elite experience, it’s our mothers receiving maternity care at local maternity centres, and it is our young entrepreneurs accessing credit for agribusiness and our children getting the best education,” he added.
