President Ruto turns to charm youths with lofty promises

President William Ruto appears to have shifted into full campaign gear, rolling out high-sounding pledges targeting the country’s restless youth.

In what observers believe is a calculated move to lock in the country’s largest voting bloc, Ruto on Tuesday intensified his courting of the youth, unleashing a fresh wave of promises to link them to opportunities.

Speaking in Kakamega, Ruto unveiled youth-centred interventions to equip them with marketable skills, expand access to credit and open “unlimited digital doors” to global opportunities.

“Every year, nearly 800,000 young Kenyans enter the labour market. For too long, many have faced—and continue to face—the frustration of limited opportunities,” the President said.

“That is why we have crafted a bold, multi-pronged strategy not only to generate jobs, but also to equip our youth with competitive, future-ready skills and ensure they thrive in the economy of the 21st Century.”

He was in Kakamega to officiate this year’s International Youth Day.

To realise this pledge, Ruto announced his government’s plans to enrol two million young people in various Technical and Vocational and Training institutions by the end of the year.

“We have also deliberately chosen housing as one of the main engines of job creation in Kenya today. Currently, over 161,000 housing units are under construction across the country, part of a 700,000-home pipeline that will generate more than one million jobs,” he noted.

The enhanced enrolment, he noted, will be realised through the National Government Apprenticeship Opportunities programme.

“About 320,000 people are already working in the Affordable Housing Programme, with numbers set to double in the next two months,” Ruto said.

“We have already advertised 4,000 internship positions for young professionals in the housing sector. Through the Public Service Commission, we will engage architects, engineers, surveyors, IT specialists, marketers and other specialists, placing them in housing projects and municipalities across the country.”

He noted the housing programme will absorb 10,000 interns by January.

The President also dangled the prospect of mass engagement of the youth through the ClimateWorx programme, which he said will be upscaled from next month.

“This initiative is now being rolled out across all counties through an expanded roadworks programme, which will soon grow the ClimateWorx workforce to 113,000 young people,” Ruto said.

The programme, which started in Nairobi, involves having youth implement labour-intensive environmental projects, restoring ecosystems through tree planting, cleaning rivers and greening public spaces.

The President also promised labour mobility to the youth, noting that a record 420,000 Kenyans have secured employment abroad since he took over.

He presented cheques worth Sh163 million to support 816 young people who successfully secured jobs through the labour mobility programme to work abroad.

On the financial front, the Hustler Fund is being retooled to target skilled youth with affordable credit to turn their training into viable businesses.

“Through the Hustler Fund, five million beneficiaries have improved their credit scores, a game-changing development for young people who previously had no credit history or had been blacklisted in CRB,” he said.

The President also highlighted his National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement and its effect in empowering the young generation.

The programme aims to enhance youth employability and promote savings and will provide 110,000 youth entrepreneurs with business development services, market linkages, mentorship and financial support.

“In every ward across Kenya, 70 young entrepreneurs—100,000 in total—will each receive Sh50,000 in start-up capital,” he said.

“I am pleased to report that the first phase of 54,000 young people will receive their Sh50,000 business start-up capital in September, paving the way for their skills training to commence next month.”

The President was accompanied by amongst others, CSs Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives) and Salim Mvurya (Sports) and Youth Principal Secretary Jacobs Fikirini.

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