Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has encouraged the youth to focus on monetizing their talents as a means to combat unemployment. Speaking at the Nyeri National Polytechnic in Nyeri County during the ‘Mayouth Tuwe Set Initiative’ forum, the Deputy President emphasized the importance of the art and creative economy under the Digital Super Highway Pillar of the Kenya Kwanza Plan.
He highlighted that leveraging talents into viable livelihoods is a key priority for the government.
During the forum, Gachagua noted the significant progress made in combating illicit brews and drug and substance abuse. He urged the youth to harness their potential within the thriving creative economy.
The Deputy President answered questions from the youth and higher education students during the National Youth Forum, held on Saturday evening, where he reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding investments in the creative economy.
This expansion aims to spur job creation and bolster entrepreneurship among the youth, providing them with opportunities to turn their creative skills into sustainable sources of income.
By focusing on these initiatives, the government hopes to address unemployment and provide a pathway for young people to achieve economic independence through the monetization of their talents and creative endeavors.
“We have five pillars in Kenya Kwanza Administration and one of them is a creative economy and digital highway. We are monetizing art so that all artists including content creators, dancers, actors, and all others can make their talents an income-generating activity,” he said.
“We will continue building the young people because they are vibrant, knowledgeable, and very encouraging. I have tremendous respect for the young people, I continue listening to them and engaging them.”
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua emphasized the Ruto Administration’s commitment to empowering the youth and creating opportunities in the sports and arts sectors. Speaking at the ‘Mayouth Tuwe Set Initiative’ forum at Nyeri National Polytechnic, Gachagua highlighted the government’s focus on fostering talent and creating viable livelihoods for young people.
The event, which drew thousands of young attendees, saw the presence of several leaders and youthful politicians, including the chairperson of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association, Gitonga Mukunji, who is also the MP for Manyatta Constituency. Music artist and content creator Bahati was also in attendance, lending support to the initiative.
Addressing employment issues in the country, the Deputy President assured the youth of the government’s commitment to creating job opportunities. He encouraged them to remain focused and determined, affirming that their aspirations are achievable.
Additionally, Gachagua addressed intern teachers, urging them to be patient with their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). He reassured them that the government has guaranteed the conversion of their employment terms to permanent and pensionable positions after two years.
By prioritizing youth empowerment and expanding opportunities in sports and the arts, the Ruto Administration aims to address unemployment and foster a supportive environment for the younger generation to thrive.
“We have over 400,000 trained teachers and are registered with the Teachers Service Commission but our capacity to absorb them because of the fiscal space is limited. Last year we hired 56,000 teachers,” he said.
“Others were also absorbed as intern teachers with a guarantee that after two years they will automatically be hired on permanent and pensionable terms. I request them to be patient because it is better being an intern than being at home.”
He continued:
“Getting an internship is good progress and after two years there is automatic conversion of the terms of employment. I thank our President for making a firm decision on hiring teachers and making sure we go out of our way to ensure our children have enough teachers. We continue progressively within the limited fiscal space to absorb the teachers as we go on.”
He said the Government is also exploring job opportunities in the Diaspora.
On illicit brews and drug and substance abuse, Gachagua said the Government has made progress in tackling the menace.
“The issue of illicit brews and drug and substance abuse is of great concern to the President and I and indeed the entire government. We had reached a point where we did not have young people to do manual work,” he said.
“We have done a bit of work in countering illicit brews and drug and substance abuse by making sure the drugs and illicit brews are not readily available. People are now sombre and I am encouraged that broken families have been restored.”
He said that at the time the Ruto Administration came to power the country was losing an entire generation to illicit brews and drugs, especially in the Central region.
“There were too many drugs being peddled openly in the streets and illicit brews being sold across the country,” he said.
