A Sh50 million talent and culture centre will be built in Bungoma town in a move aimed at promoting the creative economy and nurturing youthful talent across the county, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has said.
Wetang’ula said that Bungoma is endowed with immense raw talent but lacks adequate facilities for art, drama, music and sports.
“Bungoma County is a reservoir of raw talent but our youth lack spaces to practice and grow their skills. This centre will provide an ideal platform for creativity to flourish,” Wetang’ula said.
The facility will be the first of its kind in the Western Region once complete and operational.
The speaker made the remarks during the Bungoma Talent Expo finale held at Bungoma High School, sponsored by Senate Chief Whip and Bungoma Senator David Wakoli.
The event brought together youths from across the county to showcase their creative abilities.
He said the proposed centre would play a critical role in exposing and nurturing talent through platforms such as open-door performances, creating jobs, promoting peace and contributing to a cohesive society.
Wetang’ula said the captivating performances at the expo brought to light the county’s vast potential in the creative economy, which, if properly harnessed, could transform the lives of many young people.
“From music, dance, rap, comedy, poetry to spoken word, the performances were captivating and reaffirmed my belief that our youth are brimming with energy, creativity and limitless potential,” he said.
He said he would work closely with the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy to secure budgetary allocation for the project, which will be the first of its kind in the Western region.
He said that the initiative had successfully unearthed hidden talent and pledged his financial support for the next edition of the event.
Wetang’ula also urged young people to take advantage of online job opportunities under the national government’s Kazi Majuu programme.
He expressed concerns that many youths in the region were yet to embrace such avenues.
On his part, Senator Wakoli said the expo was designed to transform raw talent into sustainable income-generating ventures for unemployed youth, complementing government efforts to turn creativity into a productive economic resource.
He challenged the Bungoma County Government to allocate more resources towards promoting and developing youth talent.
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