More than 1,500 young people in Nairobi's Kamukunji constituency have completed a technical and vocational skills training programme, The Star reported. The programme aims to make them more employable, encourage self-employment and tackle unemployment.
The graduates were recognised at a ceremony in Kamukunji, where 1,000 youths and young mothers received B2 driving certificates. The Star did not give the date of the ceremony.
Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan said the programme was meant to give young people practical, marketable skills. He said demand for technical expertise in the job market is growing. Hassan said he wants to do more than pay for training. His aim is for graduates to turn their skills into real economic opportunities.
Hassan promised to organise a job fair linking the graduates to jobs in Kenya and abroad. He also called for business support so that graduates can set up their own enterprises, become financially independent and employ others.
The MP said the support was not a bid for votes. "I am not giving you bursaries because I want you to re-elect me. It is my responsibility as an MP to uplift your lives," he said. He told residents to judge him on the impact of his projects. Voters would decide whether to give him another term, he said.
Assistant Chief Hussein Gambu said vocational training could help young people become productive members of society. One graduate, Joyce Kathe, thanked the MP. She said the training had given her knowledge she could rely on in future. "You have shown me how to fish," she said.
Hassan said the programme would grow. A second cohort of 400 youths was expected to start training the following week, according to The Star. The target is 2,000 beneficiaries within the year.