Kenyan youth encouraged to take up opportunities provided by the EAC

Youth Enterprise Fund Chairman, Ronald Osumba has urged the youth to take up opportunities  provided by the East African Community (EAC).

Speaking during the National Award Ceremony of The East African Community,  Mr. Osumba painted a grim picture of the high unemployment rate in the country.

“Half a million graduates every year do not have jobs. Integration therefore becomes an important agenda. We must open our boarders so that opportunities are not limited to our borders,” he said.

Mr. Osumba commended the EAC for creating opportunities upon which the youth can bank on such as the EAC Court of Justice and Legislative Assembly.

“EAC has enabled free movement of goods and people across East Africa. Therefore, you can compete equally in all East African countries,” Mr Osumba told the university students and dons present at the National Award Ceremony on April 24, 2019.

University students and dons had gathered for an award ceremony after a three month social media campaign competition initiated by the EAC.

The campaign, which was dubbed ‘Ushirikiano Digital’ was able to reach 10, 000, 000 people through various social media platforms with Facebook attracting the most with 2 million views. The campaign was motivated by the fact that not many youths in Kenya understand how they could benefit from EAC.

During the three months, 6 universities across the country sensitized the youth in Kenya about the roles and opportunities at the EAC through various social media platforms. The universities inluded Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, The Technical University of Kenya, St Paul’s University, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, University of Nairobi, and Riara University.

Participants were gifted for their innovativeness in spreading out the message either through articles, videos, or posts on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and WordPress. The winner was awarded  a laptop, the first runners up a mobile phone, and the second runners up a power bank.

About 1.1 million graduates are produced every year into the job market without fail. However, only 600, 000 to 700, 000 jobs are produced in Kenya annually.