Raila Unveils His Plan For Kenyan Youth

Raila Odinga Addresses the Congregation at P.A.G Hardy, Lang'ata on SundaySeptember 5
Raila Odinga Addresses the Congregation at P.A.G Hardy, Lang'ata on Sunday, September 5.
Raila Odinga

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga on Sunday, September 19, announced his plans for Kenyan youth.

Raila hopes to address some policy interventions for the youth - centred around creating opportunities for them, maintaining a data bank for talented youth and enabling them to access funds with ease.

The former Prime Minister intends to introduce a tax holiday for enterprises owned by young Kenyans in a bid to minimise taxation. This will see new and small youth-owned businesses enjoy a seven-year tax holiday. Also roped in are organizations and companies that offer employment to the youth who will enjoy tax incentives. 

Raila added that the youth can bring limitless opportunities to the country if they are trained and equipped with expertise and knowledge. He affirmed that he intends to provide the youth with opportunities and particularly jobs to present them with an opportunity to showcase their expertise.

ODM leader Raila Odinga arrives in Suna East, Migori County on Monday, August 1, 2021
ODM leader Raila Odinga arrives in Suna East, Migori County on Monday, August 1, 2021
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He intends to revamp industries across the 47 counties that will produce Made in Kenya products to provide employment opportunities for the youth. 

Odinga plans to create a National Boda Boda Fund and Local Boda Boda Assembly Units for motorbikes to make them more available and more affordable in line with harnessing support for the potential of the 2.4milion rides.

The handshake partner, with the help of the National Government and Private Sector, intends to roll out the Kenya National Youth Internship Program (KNIP) which will take up 10,000 interns annually.

In addition, it will design a policy for the Youth Leaders Program which will support 1000 youth every year with paid internships in the United Nations as well as other international agencies.

The African Union High Representative For Infrastructure Development also promises to create a Youth Commission with equal representation of both genders. The commission will be tasked with advancing the participation of the youth in all spheres of public and private life.

It will also be mandated to mainstream the youth perspectives in planning and decision making and advice the national and county governments on the design, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs to secure sustainable livelihoods for the youth.

In addition, it will facilitate general mentorship and integration of African traditional values with contemporary youth lifestyles.

The former Nasa Principal also hopes to maintain a data bank on talented youth, source economic support for the youth and ensure that their passions become professions, industries and jobs.

His plan includes a Youth Jobs Immigration Programme that will review the quality of jobs offered to Kenyan youth abroad, ensure their security and make the entire process friendly, transparent and accountable.

Raila also intends to redesign, revamp and relaunch Access to Government Opportunities (AGPO), review the terms of loans offered to the youth by the Higher Educations Loans Board (HELB) and increase the number of bursaries in tertiary institutions.

Moreover, he will revamp, empower and activate the Youth One Stop Shops to provide strategic and youth-focused services including access to ICT, entrepreneurship training and guidance and counselling services.

The former premier hopes to re-engineer the National Youth Service (NYS), devolve its campuses across all counties and put it in charge of mandatory induction and community services across the country.

Hundreds of youth queue during an open employment drive by a city hotel on Saturday, May 26, 2018
Hundreds of youth queue during an open employment drive by a city hotel on Saturday, May 26, 2018
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