- 450 youth and women to receive skills training and livelihood support across five counties.
- Training will focus on local opportunities including ICT, tourism, aquaculture, beekeeping and handicrafts.
- Government will link beneficiaries to financing, mentorship, markets and enterprise support.
The government has launched a skills development and livelihood programme targeting 450 vulnerable youth and women in five counties, as part of efforts to tackle the socioeconomic drivers of violent extremism and strengthen community resilience.
Unveiled during the Fifth Programme Steering Committee meeting of the Peacebuilding and Preventing Violent Extremism in East Africa Programme, the initiative will benefit participants from Nairobi, Kilifi, Kisumu, Isiolo and Samburu counties.
Dubbed the Resilient Livelihoods and Vulnerable Youth and Communities Empowerment Initiative, the programme falls under the Building Resilience and Community Empowerment for Peace (BRACE4PEACE) Programme.
It brings together the Government of Kenya, the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and technical and vocational education and training institutions.
Speaking at the launch, PS for Internal Security and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo said sustainable peace could only be achieved by addressing the conditions that make vulnerable communities susceptible to crime and violent extremism.
“The focus is on strengthening community resilience, promoting social cohesion and expanding economic opportunities,” he said.
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The first cohort comprises 90 beneficiaries from each county, receiving market-oriented technical and vocational training suited to local opportunities. Nairobi participants will train in digital solutions and ICT, Kilifi in coastal tourism, Kisumu in cage aquaculture, and Isiolo and Samburu in beekeeping, beadwork and handicrafts.
Beyond training, beneficiaries will be linked to business licences, financing, enterprise development services, mentorship and markets, Dr Omollo said. National and county governments will also work together to identify participants already enrolled in existing public programmes and connect them to complementary services.
The initiative complements the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme, which targets youth employment and entrepreneurship.
By Benedict Aoya
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