INSIDE BIG PLANS FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
CPA Kapkiai also revealed that selected youth are being sponsored for driving courses to enhance their employability and equip them with practical,
CEC for Sports Kemei addressing the students during the fair
By Jessica Nyaboke
Over 902 youths across Uasin Gishu County are set to benefit from a empowerment programme that is set to equip them with hand skills for ready market.
The County Government has been in the forefront of Uasin Gishu is offering opportunities to students from tertiary institutions and universities to gain the practical exposure they need for future employment.
Speaking during a youth career fair in Eldoret RVTTI County Executive Committee Member for Youth Affairs, Robert Kemei, emphasized the administration’s commitment to tackling youth unemployment by equipping young people with real-world experience.
He noted that the 902 beneficiaries will be placed across various sectors within the county to ensure broad-based exposure and skill-building.
County Chief Officer for Youth Affairs, CPA Victorine Kapkiai, confirmed that the department has already begun implementing empowerment and training sessions in partnership with various organizations.
She explained that the provision of Wi-Fi hotspots is part of a broader digital inclusion plan, designed to enable youth to tap into business and employment opportunities in the digital space.
CPA Kapkiai also revealed that selected youth are being sponsored for driving courses to enhance their employability and equip them with practical, market-relevant skills. Director for Youth Affairs, Meshack Chemwor, was among the senior county officials who attended the event.
In his speech Managing Director Brighter monday Sarah Ndegwa Kenya,said his organisation in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation under the Generation Kazi Program, is collaborating with employers, institutions, and workforce development platforms to train, promote regional employability, with a focus on underserved youth populations in the North Rift, and create direct and meaningful placement opportunities among 2,000 job seekers in the North Rift region.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data of 2023, 39% of Kenyans aged 18 –35 are unemployed or underemployed. Kenya’s youth unemployment remains critically high, with nearly 4 in 10 among young Kenyans.
Additionally, despite increased access to tertiary education, many young people are not market, and work-ready or aligned with modern employer needs. This has been witnessed in regional towns and underserved regions like the North Rift, where labor market linkages and modern-day work skills are not fully actualised.
“By equipping youth with practical skills and matching them with hiring organizations, the GenKazi Program addresses the persistent youth unemployment gap in Kenya. Underserved and regional towns also need to be prepared as growing hubs for workforce innovation,” said Sarah Ndegwa, the Managing Director, BrighterMonday Kenya.
The program is joining forces with employers to empower young job seekers with relevant soft skills, digital career tools, and connecting trained youth with employers seeking high-potential talent.
“The Initiative is also promoting inclusive hiring practices, especially among women, youth, PWDs, and IDPs. Young Kenyans are being prepared to leverage AI to improve placement outcomes with a focus on underserved youth populations,” Sarah added.
GenKazi Program is setting new standards for inclusive hiring and upskilling, ensuring that all youth, including those from marginalized backgrounds, have access to dignified, fulfilling work.
The Young Africa Works (YAW) Strategy – a flagship initiative by the Mastercard Foundation aims at empowering 30 million young Africans with dignified and meaningful employment opportunities by 2030. YAW is specifically designed for young people aged 18-35, targeting 70% of young women. It categorizes participants into two key segments: undergraduates in the final stages of their university or tertiary education, and preparing to transition into the job market, and graduates who have completed their formal education and are actively seeking employment or entrepreneurial opportunity
Leveraging over a decade of experience, BrighterMonday Kenya connects job seekers with opportunities, provides digital training, and champions inclusive growth across Kenya’s regions. As one of the implementing partners of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to enable 30 million young people in Africa to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030,
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