This archive report was first published on 19 July 2021.
Raila Odinga's Plan for Industrialising Kenya ¶
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has put forward a proposal for the industrialisation of Kenya, building on his previous idea for rural urbanization.
On July 18, 2021, Odinga proposed the establishment of a Human Resource body dedicated to identifying skilled youth, organizing domestic skills competitions, and sending the best to compete with the world at the World Skills Competition, also known as the 'Skills Olympics.'
According to Odinga, this will see an increase in 'made in Kenya' products, as the body will keep a data bank on skilled youth, source support for small and medium enterprises run by craftsmen and artisans, and ensure their passions become professions, industries, and jobs for the nation.
He also proposed the establishment of a tradition of apprenticeship training to help skilled youth keep updating their skills in line with changing times.
Additionally, Odinga suggested that the body will source incentives for existing industries to extend rewards and scholarships to those with technical skills who want to continue perfecting them.
He emphasized the need to recreate and mainstream vocational high schools, and to open pathways for a steady flow of skilled workers.
Furthermore, Odinga proposed a concerted campaign against the societal mindset that takes a dim view of skilled manual workers, and to convince the public that academic papers are good, but that societies that place equal emphasis on both knowledge and skills have done better.
He concluded by saying that it would be great to see Kenyan youths at the Skills Olympics in Shanghai in October next year, and that this would be a step towards seeing 'made in Kenya' products on supermarket shelves.
