- KSh1.8 billion rural youth employment programmes is a five-year project
At least 10,000 youth-led agribusinesses will benefit from KSh1.8billion funding from the Government of Kenya and the German Development Agency.
The Rural youth employment in Western Kenya Initiative dubbed KilimoNiBiz as well as the Youth Employment In Agri-food sector targets youth in Bungoma, Kakamega, Siaya and Vihiga Counties.
The projects will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Cooperatives and the German Technical Cooperation Agency Deutsche Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbelt (GIZ) in the next five years.
The projects will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Cooperatives and the German Technical Cooperation Agency Deutsche Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbelt (GIZ) in the next five years.
“The two programmes will increase their employability through competency- based training, promotion of job placement services and strengthening the self-organization of the rural youth,” said the Ministry’s Chief Administrative Secretary Anne Nyaga.
“They will also look to support strategy and policy development as well as strengthening the dialogue and collaboration between the national and county government as well as the private sector.”
According to Nyaga, the projects were agreed on during the negotiations between Kenya and Germany in December 2018 with Germany issuing the KSh1.8 billion grants.
The projects also aim to improve the business environment and improve access to inputs, services and markets, strengthen the demand for labour, matching of labour demand and supply for employment promotion whereby qualified youth will be connected with enterprises sourcing for talents through internship programs, career advisory and digital matching services.
The demographic analysis shows that more than two-thirds of Kenya’s population is the youth.
In 2019 the estimated youth unemployment rate in Kenya was at 18.34 percent. Agriculture is key to Kenya’s economy, contributing 26 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and another 27 percent of GDP through linkages with other sectors. The sector also employs more than 40 percent of the total population and more than 70 percent of Kenya’s rural people.
The key outcome projections of the programmes include better access to inputs, services, and markets, 500 startups created, as well as 10,000 youth with improved employment prospects.
