The Youth Agenda takes center stage in the goals of H.E. President of Kenya, Dr. William Samoei Ruto, CGH’s administration. These words were shared by Hon. Ababu-Terrah Egh, the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Youth Affairs, The Arts and Sports, on Friday, August 25th, during the launch of the PlugMtaani/Vijana2invest initiative. This event, organized by the Ministry of Investments Trade and Industry, through the Kenya Investment Authority, aims to empower young people to shape their financial paths.
“I am delighted that Kenya Investment Authority, together with its partners, has ignited this conversation which shifts the paradigm in youth empowerment. Our President has made it crystal clear that the core focus of this administration is the youth, and it’s through them that we can make the promise of a new Kenya come true,” he declared.
CS Ababu emphasized that his ministry has prioritized all matters related to youth to ensure the President’s vision for the youth becomes reality. “At the ministry, we’ve firmly established that anything involving the youth is of utmost importance, at any time and in any place. We need a complete shift in perspective, and a change in mindset to unleash the full potential of this group. They are essential in our country’s development, and unless we get it right with our youth, progress will be a challenge.”
He encouraged the youth to embrace innovation and adapt to the evolving workplace landscape. “We want the youth of Kenya, the youth of Africa to be entrepreneurial, to think business, and to be co-creators of employment opportunities.”
“We want our young people to plug into the opportunities presented by government through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Domestic Direct Investment (DDI) and this is the paradigm shift, the mindset change that we are seeking,” he added.
CS Ababu called on the youth to get out and make the most of the opportunities presented to them. “There’s this thing people call luck. Luck is essentially the convergence of effort and opportunity. When you put in the effort, there’s a strong chance that effort will meet an opportunity.”
“To all our young people, ni lazima #Tujitume. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too young for a certain opportunity. It does not matter the size of the dog in a fight, but the size of the fight in the dog in the fight. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” he stated.
CS Ababu also encouraged the organizers to merge the initiative with the Presidential Innovation Challenge, urging young people to innovate, especially in making Agriculture appealing.
He assured them that his ministry, through the TalantaHela Initiative, is ready to provide the seed funding to support the PlugMtaani/Vijana2invest initiative to take off. He was accompanied by H.E. Njoroge Muchiri, the Deputy Governor of Nairobi County, and June Chepkemei, CEO of Kenya Investment, among others.
