GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES FIFTEEN REFURBISHED YOUTH EMPOWERMENT CENTRES

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES FIFTEEN REFURBISHED YOUTH EMPOWERMENT CENTRES

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES FIFTEEN REFURBISHED YOUTH EMPOWERMENT CENTRES

The Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender on 9th August 2019, launched 15 refurbished Youth Empowerment Centers in various Counties across the Country.

The centers will serve as resource facilities for youth in the respective regions to access ICT services, guidance and counselling on drugs and substance abuse, HIV/AIDS prevention among other services. They are also equipped to provide positive leisure activities including indoor and outdoor and games.

As one of the activities marking the National Youth Week 2019, fifteen Principal Secretaries from various state agencies commissioned the newly refurbished centers spread out across the country. The Principal Secretaries held conversations with the youth from the respective regions in a bid to identify the immediate needs of the youth from the localities.  

In his statement, the Principal Secretary, State Department of Public Service and Youth Dr. Francis Owino, stated that the Government embraced the idea of establishing Youth Empowerment Centers in 2008 by establishing 152 Centers in over 100 Constituencies by 2012. The centers had remained largely unused and needed refurbishment to make them useful centers for youth.

“In order to make the YECs operational and beneficial to the youth the Ministry embarked on refurbishing 21 Centers in the last financial year 2018/2019,” said Dr. Owino. He noted that the Ministry has allocated funding to refurbish another 60 centers in the current financial year 2019/2020.

Youth Centers are a Vision 2030 flagship project under the social pillar the Government will embark on putting in place the balance of 138 YECs in the remaining Constituencies and Sub- Counties once the existing 152 are fully operationalized.

 “Broadly, the YECs provide safe spaces to address social, economic and health needs, including psychological concerns, prevalent among the youth,” added Dr. Owino in the statement. 17 Youth Centers launched during the National Youth Week were in the counties of Embu, Nairobi, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Bomet, Nandi, West Pokot, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kitui, Kilifi, Kakemga, Garissa, Mandera, Homabay and Kwale.

Winnie Mburu