NASA Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has stressed the importance of empowering the youth in the country. While addressing the press in Nairobi, he reiterated NASA’s plan to help in youth empowerment and creation of employment opportunities, “The empowerment rate is 40% and if all these young people are allowed to realize their full potential, Kenya could see huge economic gains,” he quipped.
He further said the young people are increasingly recognized as the best agents for change because they place a greater hope in their power to shape the country’s future, noting that in most African countries the youth are trapped in poverty.
Raila Odinga said NASA highest socio-economic priority is to raise the productivity of the smallholder farmers to ensure that they not only feed themselves but also contribute to the realization of national food security. The ODM leader said the cost of living in the country has skyrocketed due to the high purchasing costs of goods and services.
He said the high cost of living has also been caused by corruption, which is a main issue in the whole country adding that corruption has made it difficult for various businesses to succeed, including coffee production in Kiambu, where they’re taking their campaigns. “NASA has a plan to liberate coffee production in Kiambu County, which is known for high agriculture productivity,” stated Raila Odinga, promising that they’ll ensure value addition which will help in payment of debts. He also urged traders from Kiambu who do coffee and tea farming to expand their businesses to other Counties.