While unemployment wallops the youths, the 91-year-old former Vice President Moody Awori has landed yet another government job.
The Lake Region Economic Bloc Chair Wycliffe Oparanya appointed the 91-year-old veteran politician to the Inter-County Advisory and Resource Mobilization Committee which will be launched today-- Thursday, August 20.
The committee will be tasked with resource mobilisation and advising the economic bloc on ways of dealing with the impact of Covid-19 .
Lake Region Economic Bloc is made up of 11 counties namely; Kakamega, Kisumu, Bungoma, Homa Bay, Busia, Bomet, Siaya, Nyamira, Migori, Kisii and Vihiga counties.
The State seems to have a soft spot for Uncle Moody. In 2018, he was appointed the chair of the billion-shilling Sport, Arts and Social Development Fund. President Uhuru Kenyatta defended the appointment of the former VP claiming that the fund needed a person of integrity as the fund mobilises resources to support the growth and development of the sports industry in the country. "Look at the way people are plundering government resources and then we say that we appoint a young person? I would rather stay with the old man to make sure the money is utilised in the right manner,” Uhuru explained after an uproar from Kenyans. Former Auditor General Edward Ouko was also appointed to the LREB Covid-19 Advisory and Resource Mobilization Committee together with musician Akothee.
Last week, the ambassador of Kenya Tourism Board marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge was also appointed to the LREB Covid-19 Advisory and Resource Mobilization Committee board.
The LREB Covid-19 Advisory and Resource Mobilization Committee is chaired by Professor Khama Rogo who is the lead health specialist at World Bank and head of World Bank Group's Health in Africa Initiative.
According to data from the World Bank in 2019, Kenya has the highest number of jobless youth in East Africa at a staggering 18.3 percent compared to Uganda which is at 2.7% and Tanzania 3.4%.
Youths blame President Uhuru Kenyatta who, they say has only delivered more burden and false hope from his 2017 promises that the Jubilee Party would create 1.5 million jobs annually if reelected.