President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday appealed to youth with loans from affirmative action funds such as the Youth Fund to pay back the loans for other Kenyans to benefit.
Speaking in Meru County at a Youth Fund event where several beneficiaries showcased their products, Uhuru advised them to use the funds wisely and become job creators themselves.
"I urge the beneficiaries of the affirmative funds to repay the loans so that others can benefit.
"I am impressed by those who have obtained loans from the affirmative funds and utilized them to empower themselves," he stated.
Reiterating his message from the burial of legendary Gikuyu artist Joseph Kamaru on Thursday, Uhuru warned young people against the culture of hand-outs.
"There are no free things...resist handouts from politicians and earn your own money.
"The government is ready to assist the youth build their lives so they do not become slaves to handouts," he asserted.
Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) boss Ronald Osumba announced in August that the body would slow down the process to list youth defaulters at the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB).
He, however, maintained that beneficiaries would still be expected to pay back the loans within the stipulated period.
“We are encouraging youths to take funds from the youth funds and invest in the Big Four Agenda because money will always follow the policy and if your business is not aligned with the Big Four Agenda you will miss out.
“Taking this into account the Youth Fund will stop listing youth defaulters in the CRB. However, they will be expected to pay back their loans promptly,” he stated at a youth dialogue forum in Nairobi
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