It’s a relief to nine hundred youths from Mt Elgon constituency after a six months empowerment program was launched for them by the National Youth Service, which enables them to work and earn some money on a weekly basis.
Presiding over the event at Kimobo in the constituency, NYS Deputy Director Henry Ikomiru said Mt Elgon was lucky to be among the first one hundred and sixty constituencies where the program has been launched saying the youth from both Cheptais and Mt Elgon Sub Counties were picked equally.
He said the program is meant to give the youth skills, knowledge and enable them to be independent, saying at the end of the program they’ll have been involved in environmental conservation projects that are beneficial to the community.
“Every youth will receive Kshs 471 at the end of every week but out of that Kshs 141 will be kept in their Sacco to enable you to have an opportunity to access loans later to start up development projects under the several youth groups that you’ll have formed,” he said.
He disclosed that they’ll be working from morning to midday and in the afternoon they will have learning sessions where they will be taught how to spend their money and be beneficial to the community.
Area Member of Parliament John Bomet Serut thanked the national government for the program launch saying many youth who were languishing in their homes and contemplating to indulge in crime related activities have now found a lifeline.
He said the youth who are from both Mt Elgon and Cheptais Sub Counties will have an opportunity to set their own destiny in life saying many of them were just sitting idle in their homes even after completing their studies.
He, however, requested for the government to provide a fallback program for them after completion of the contract and also increase the number of those who are to be recruited to the NYS saying the constituency has many youth who needs to be helped.
He urged them to behave well and carry out their assigned duties diligently so as to enable the government to consider them if the same program will be launched in subsequent phases in future.
The MP who is also seeking re-election on an independent ticket called upon the residents in Mt Elgon to maintain peace before and after the general election saying ugly incidences like those witnessed in 2007 should not be repeated.
He called upon the security personnel to be vigilant and ensure anyone found violating the electoral conduct stern measures be taken against them.
Hon. Serut has also called upon his fellow contestants to stop focusing on propaganda in their campaign strategies but rather tell the electorate what alternative leadership they will provide if elected.
He added that he is optimistic he will be reelected based on his track record saying he has been able to start up different schools and also bought several buses to the schools that had previously been neglected.
Regarding the tender of printing of ballot papers, he said the opposition leader Raila Odinga should not panic concerning who will print, saying with his planned parallel tallying together with agents in each polling station he will be sure no votes will be stolen.
