Streamline Kazi kwa Vijana initiative

The Kazi kwa Vijana initiative is a noble idea intended to keep jobless youth busy.

It targets young people who are given first priority in working on projects such as building or repairing infrastructure and public amenities around the areas they live.

The aim of this programme is to stem the social ills brought about by unemployment, idleness and poverty. However, if not carefully implemented, it may in the long run aggravate the same problems it is trying to solve.

First, it would be prudent to define minimum and maximum age limits of the target group, bearing in mind unemployment and poverty affect everyone.

Second, since these jobs are temporary, how will the youth be engaged in-between projects?

Third, these projects might disadvantage females because they are labour intensive and require push and aggression.

Fourth, a feeling of entitlement could also creep into these groups and they may start demanding employment as a right regardless of whether they have the technical expertise.

Fifth, how will projects passing through different areas, such as road construction, be handled? Will contractors be required to employ fresh labour every time they come to a new region?

We should learn from the Constituency Development Fund that, however noble a plan is, proper implementation and control are a vital component if programmes are to succeed.

{Charles Waigwa, Kasarani}

As poverty entrenches itself deeper in the country, the youth are the worst casualties.

If you visit many homes, you are likely to come across young people barely in their twenties supporting their families.

This is mostly in the form of ‘hustling’ for a meal for themselves and their siblings. In these instances, parents have abdicated their responsibilities. Thus, the youth have no one to turn to for assistance.

Consequently, in a bid to forget their tribulations, many have embraced the use of hard drugs.

We should not be surprised young men and women decided to torch the country after the disputed 2007 presidential elections.

This is the typical reaction of disillusioned youth who exhibit poor judgement skills and consider burning and pillaging a worthwhile cause.

For a long time now, the young have been shortchanged by politicians. Knowing they command numbers, many a politician has ascended into power using the hackneyed phrase of "putting the youth agenda at the top of their list if elected into office".

When politicians ascend to power, they only engage in party politics instead of helping their supporters set up money-generating projects.

It is time the youth refused to be divided along partisan, tribal lines when they are all facing the same challenges.

The Kazi kwa Vijana initiative is a noble idea aimed at ensuring around 300,000 jobs will have been created by August.

It is now incumbent upon the Office of the Prime Minister to ensure the exercise is devoid of corruption, nepotism and tribalism.

Otherwise, the projects’ slogan could soon be, ‘kazi kwa vijana, pesa kwa wazee’.

{Mwangi Muraguri, via e-mail}