Youths have been encouraged to form groups and register companies in order to benefit from County Government tenders and other opportunities.
Machakos County Governor Wavinya Ndeti said her Government was keen on empowering the youth to benefit from the 30 per cent provision for Youths, Women and Persons Living with Disabilities as stipulated in the constitution.
Speaking at various public participation forums on Machakos County Youth Empowerment Act 2022 Governor Ndeti directed officials in her Government to facilitate the registration of Youth groups with at least 10 members per group.
She said the registration should be done within the next two weeks in all Sub-counties.
The governor assured that the budget will be ’tilted’ to favour the youths so as to address the issue of youth unemployment.
“We have to tilt our budgets towards the youth. We have to do positive discrimination to empower our youths,”said Governor Ndeti.
Governor Ndeti said in the proposed Machakos Youth Service which the County Youth Empowerment Act 2022 seeks to establish, Agriculture and Computer Studies will be compulsory so that the County can first grow enough food to feed her people and also engage in the digital economy.
Youths who turned up at the public participation forums in Kalama, Kathiani and Masii in Mwala supported the enactment of the law and raised various concerns to be addressed by the County Government including provision of irrigation pumps,water tanks and car wash machines among other needs.
Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi faulted Kalama MCA Boniface Maeke for not turning up at the public participation forum to lead the presentation of views by his electorates adding that he had failed in his duty.
The DG said such leaders should be voted out by the people in the next election.