The County Government is in discussions with a French organization for the establishment of Youth Empowerment, Information Communication Technology and Resource Centres in Uasin Gishu.

A program spearheaded by the Department of Youth and ICT will see the County partner with a French organization through its Kenyan partner, Rafiki ya Maisha, for setting up resource centres.

Discussions are already in top gear for the establishment and operationalization of Tembelio Youth Innovation and Resource Centre as a model, with plans set to cascade the projects to the rest of the regions in the county.

County Executive for Youth and ICT, Eng Lucy Ng’endo, regretted that the number of youth being churned out of universities and colleges is not commensurate to the number of job opportunities available.

Eng Ng’endo, while hosting partners from a French organization currently supporting technical and skilled education in Uasin Gishu, said youth empowerment is one of the most fundamental agendas of Governor Jonathan Bii’s administration and that any window for the partnership for the success of (the agenda) is highly welcomed.

(The county) is concerned about the need to empower the youth because unemployment is a global problem and therefore viable plans to empower them need collective action,” said one of the partners.

Chief Officer for Youth, Nahum Jelagat, said the centre can also be used to sensitize on technical education, career development and every necessary skill to make youth get along with the changes in society. She was particular with value addition as among the opportunities the youth can pick for economic empowerment.

The county is looking to equip the centre with computers to assist youth to pick online jobs and create innovative applications, train youth on moral values and general lessons on drug and substance abuse, and train on technological advancements in agriculture, among many others.

Director for Youth and Sports, Peter Ruto, said Uasin Gishu being a farming town, risks losing its agricultural its position as a food provider, with active farming regrettedly fading away with the aging parents. “If we can tap into the potentiality in innovation to introduce best technological advancements in agriculture, then the youth can start embracing farming through technology.”

Rafiki ya Maisha, or Lifetime Friends is a charitable organization and is a partnership between Claire Mathijsen Roth from France and her longtime Kenyan friend Elizabeth Tunoi, inspired by the need for education for Kenya’s ‘lost’ youth.