REPUBLIC OF KENYA
THE PRESIDENCY
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, YOUTH AND GENDER
REMARKS BY PROF. MARGARET KOBIA, PH.D, MGH, CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, YOUTH AND GENDER DURING THE KIAMBU COUNTY TALENT SEARCH HELD AT BLUE POSTS HOTEL, THIKA IN KIAMBU COUNTY 0N 22ND NOVEMBER 2019
SALUTATIONS
Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba, Woman Representative Kiambu County
Hon. Jungle Wainaina, Area MP
Members of the National Assembly present
Mr. Jerome Ochieng – Principal Secretary, ICT
Mr. Douglas Mutai – Deputy County Commissioner
Senior Government Officials present
Members of the County Assembly present
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me start by thanking you for the warm welcome you have accorded us to the County of Kiambu, and for the enthusiastic turn out to the Kiambu Raw Talents Search finals 2019.
I wish to congratulate the Kiambu County Women Representative Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba for coming up with this innovative program. This is a pioneering initiative which aims to identify and nurture youth talent in the counties. Let me also acknowledge the partners in this program including the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) and other stakeholders in the entertainment industry for supporting the initiative.
I bring you greetings and best wishes from His Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta. As you are aware, His Excellency the President is the United Nations Global Champion for youth and he fully supports every youth empowerment initiative in this country.
Let me at the outset acknowledge the significance of your personal role in this initiative, Hon. Wamuchomba. We recognize you for being a true role model to the youth of this County and beyond. As a leading artiste and broadcaster, you applied your talents and developed leadership skills through the entertainment and broadcasting industry. Your community recognizes you for your service and appreciates you for stepping up to inspire the youth to follow your footsteps through this talent identification program.
THE YOUTH CHALLENGE:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As the Ministry mandated to promote youth empowerment, we continually grapple with the challenge of increasing opportunities for the youth. The Government is implementing various programs including affirmative action programs to provide affordable capital for the youth to engage in entrepreneurship, as an alternative to the limited formal employment opportunities. We have increased opportunities in the training of youth in Technical and Vocational skills to intensify their employability. Indeed the implementation of the national priority programs in Agenda Four is geared at increasing employment opportunities for the youth. Despite these gallant efforts, youth unemployment remains a daunting challenge. 2017 KNBS data shows that the national youth unemployment rate stands at 4.3 million youth.
Left idle, this youth demographic is susceptible to engaging in antisocial behaviour as we have all witnessed in this region – from alcoholism, to drug abuse, negative political mobilization and criminal activities. A program such as this – Kiambu Youth Talent Search – goes a long way to assist the government and community to mitigate these challenges.
THE KIAMBU TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The goals of this initiative are commendable. The initiative aims to identify and nurture talents from the youth of the country with the goal of empowering them to earn a living and create employment out of their God given talents.
The auditions we have witnessed this morning is proof that indeed Kiambu has talent. Join me in appreciating and congratulating the 575 youth from all the constituencies who registered and participated in the competition.
The array of arts witnessed during the competition, signify a rich entertainment industry for the Kiambu County. This program will harness the creative energy and talent of young people and turn the same into profitable enterprises in the areas of music, dancing, modelling, spoken word, comedy, acting, the arts, rap music, instruments and broadcasting.
By identifying and nurturing the talents of these youth, this program will provide an alternative and lucrative form of employment to the winners. The program will turn the successful youth into employers of fellow youth as each successful artiste will need assistants as they develop and exploit their talents. These youth will in turn inspire and mentor their fellow youth. Already we have learned that all the youth who participated in the program were sober and clean from drugs. My hearty congratulations to all of youth participants.
The benefits that this program brings to the youth of Kiambu are many:
● 18 musicians will be supported to record CDs and have their music promoted on radio with the support of studio mashinani.
● 3 musical CDs are produced and ready for launching today.
● Over 300 youth will be supported to join vocational training institutes to attain certificate courses in welding, electrical works, plumbing, hairdressing and beauty, carpentry and motor vehicle mechanics.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT IN TALENT
Ladies and gentlemen
As you are aware, my Ministry manages Affirmative Funds that include YEDF, UWEZO, and WEF, with the aim of empowering the marginalized including youth. Through the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, we have designed a special product that aims to empower youth to exploit their creative and artistic talents. It is an affordable loan facility that the youth are not able to access from the mainstream banking facilities. The youth can now access the Talanta Loan from YEDF. I encourage those who have exhibited artistic potential to explore the opportunity it presents and use it to exploit their talent. Talanta Loan targets the youth in the creative/performing arts sector to provide finance working capital and acquisition of talent related equipment.
The Youth Fund has to date disbursed Talanta loans of Ksh.6.5 million to 6 individual youth entrepreneurs for business expansion, and Ksh.11.7 million to youth groups for business startup and expansion. One of our success stories is Shiru wa GP who is a beneficiary of a Talanta loan of Ksh. 2 million.
As you are aware, the Government has made Access to Government Procurement Opportunities [AGPO] more secure for the youth to exploit the 30% opportunity reserved for them. Talented youth artistes who register with AGPO stand to receive preferential treatment where government requires artistic services.
CALL TO ACTION
Ladies and gentlemen,
The latest census shows that the population of Kenya has now reached 47.5 million. Lack of capital resources such as land, limits the choices available for the youth. However, one limitless asset the youth possess is their vigor, intellectual property and talent. This talent search initiative is a commendable program that every leader should consider for the youth in their respective constituencies. I encourage other leaders to emulate the program that Hon. Wamuchomba has pioneered in this County.
I would also like to urge different stakeholders, including the private sector, to support these innovative youth empowerment programs. In the national spirit championed by His Excellency the President of promoting and supporting our own, I appeal to the media industry to promote these budding artistes by giving them adequate air play. In the same breath, I commend the Kenya Film and Classification Board and Studio Mashinani for the support they have provided in this initiative.
CONCLUSION
As I conclude, I wish to reiterate that the Government is cognizant of the fact that youth talents, productivity, innovation and energy when harnessed can deliver the economic momentum needed to enable Kenya attain the goals of Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals. We are therefore committed to empowering the youth and support every program that creates opportunities for them.
CLOSURE
Ladies and gentlemen
Finally: Today I am here to award prizes as well as issue cheques disbursed by the Affirmative Funds:
i. Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) will be issuing cheques to youth groups worth Kshs. 19.8 million to youth groups in Kiambu County;
ii. Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) will disburse cheques worth Kshs. 60,300,000 to women groups in Kiambu county;
iii. Uwezo Fund: Will be disbursing cheques worth Ksh. 24 million to groups in Kiambu County;
iv. National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) will disburse cheques worth Ksh.3.7 million for funding affirmative groups and Bursaries worth Ksh. 7 million in Kiambu County.
I am informed that the organizers of the Talent Search initiative will be awarding the winners with cash prizes, laptops, smart phones and smart watches. For those who are not lucky to win today, do not be discouraged; remember that talent and creativity are inherent qualities that only mature with time.
I will now proceed to award prizes to the finalists and overall winners and issue Affirmative Funds cheques to the target groups.
I THANK YOU.
Its time 