This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
On June 15, 2020, the Kenyan government unveiled a Sh1.8 billion jobs drive in Western Kenya, targeting rural youth employment through a partnership with the German Development Agency.
The programme, which will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Cooperatives, in collaboration with the German Technical Cooperation Agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), aims to benefit over 10,000 youth in Bungoma, Kakamega, Siaya, and Vihiga counties.
The initiative, dubbed KilimoNiBiz and Youth Employment In Agri-food sector, will provide competency-based training, promote job placement services, and strengthen the self-organisation of rural youth.
According to Anne Nyaga, the Ministry's Chief Administrative Secretary, the programmes will also support strategy and policy development, as well as strengthen dialogue and collaboration between the national and county governments and the private sector.
Kenya's demographic analysis shows that more than two-thirds of the population comprises the youth, highlighting the need for such initiatives to address unemployment and underemployment.
