The government has introduced the draft Youth (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aimed at addressing the growing issue of youth unemployment. The bill proposes the establishment of an enhanced credit fund designed to provide accessible financial resources for youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable livelihood projects.
Under the proposed bill, the new fund will offer a variety of financial assistance, including grants, loans, and capacity-building support, to youth-led enterprises. In addition, it will focus on providing training in financial literacy, business management, and technical skills to equip young people with the tools they need to succeed in the current job market.
George Mbogo, the Director for Youth in charge of Entrepreneurship and Skill Development at the State Department for Youth Affairs, emphasized that the new fund would offer a more comprehensive approach than current initiatives. “The new fund is more enhanced and comprehensive because the current one emphasizes the enterprises of the young people, but in the proposed fund, the youth will be able to formulate proposals and get assistance in terms of capacity building and resources,” Mbogo explained.
The proposed bill also includes the creation of a youth registrar’s office, which will be responsible for coordinating and streamlining youth activities across the country. Mbogo noted that this office would help eliminate disorganization in youth-related initiatives. “Currently, almost everybody says they are doing youth work, and at times there is a lot of disorganization. With this bill, we will be able to streamline, organise, and coordinate activities specifically tailored to the youth,” he said.
Additionally, the bill stresses the importance of aligning education and skills training with labor market demands, aiming to prevent youth from falling into poverty. The bill is also expected to empower young people, fostering innovation and preparing them for the evolving job market. Mbogo concluded, “A number of our young people are idle. They need to be active and they also need to be compensated, which means being involved in an economic activity where they are also earning, which will help them at the end of the day.”
