The Elgeyo Marakwet County Assembly has passed the Elgeyo Marakwet Youth Service Bill 2025, aimed at equipping the local young people with practical skills, promoting community service, enhancing their employability and protecting them from harmful practices.
The programme, which targets at least 50 young people from each of the 20 wards in the county, will be running for 12 months with the first 30 days involving a residential training camp, where the participants will acquire skills such as communication, firefighting and etiquette.
“The aim is to train our youth and equip them with skills that will enable them to cope with daily activities and life challenges,” said Gilbert Yatich, the Chairperson of the Sports and Youth Affairs Committee.
Participants will also undertake month-long community service programmes involving activities such as tree and flower planting, cleaning towns, clearing bushes and other voluntary services.
For the remaining 10 months, the youths will be enrolled in vocational training centers, where they will acquire skills such as plumbing, masonry, carpentry and woodwork, added Yatich.
The programme is also structured to allow trainees to sit for National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) examinations and obtain nationally recognized certificates, whereupon graduation they will be equipped with tools in areas of their specialization.
“We want our youth to acquire skills that are recognized across the country and even beyond. Through vocational training centres, they will gain practical knowledge that will help them fit into the job market,” he said.
The Chairperson revealed that the Assembly would engage the County Executive for Sports, Youth Affairs, Culture, Children and Social Services, Michael Kibiwott to ensure adequate funding is allocated to make sure that the programme is implemented.
“We are currently in the budget-making process and will engage the relevant department so that we can secure the necessary resources and begin implementation as soon as possible. If all goes well, we hope to enroll the first group of youths by September,” he said.
The Emsoo Ward representative, Christopher Cheboiboch, noted that similar programmes had succeeded elsewhere and emphasized the need to engage young people in productive activities.
“If we do not engage our youth, they can easily be drawn into unproductive activities. We have seen how youth service programmes have positively contributed to development and community service in other parts of the country,” he said.
On her part, nominated MCA Sally Kosgei said the programme would help address youth unemployment and the myriad of other social challenges affecting majority of the young people.
“Instead of leaving our children idle, we found it wise to engage and give them something meaningful to do. Even if this does not pay immediately, it will benefit them in the future,” she said.
Kosgei noted that many young people possess talents and skills, but lack opportunities to put them into practice, leaving them vulnerable to drug abuse and other social vices.
The MCA urged both the County Assembly and the Executive to ensure adequate funding for implementation of the project, noting that every ward in the county would benefit.
Endo ward MCA Festus Kirop described the bill as long overdue and thanked the sports department for prioritizing youth development, saying the initiative would help in investing in human resource by helping the youths acquire innovative skills.
He expressed optimism that the programme would support preparations for this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations, which Elgeyo Marakwet County is set to host.
“I hope the programme is implemented early enough so that the first group of trainees can assist in preparing the county to host visitors expected during the Mashujaa Day celebrations,” he said.
The leaders exuded confidence that the Elgeyo Marakwet Youth Service Programme would significantly reduce youth unemployment, improve skills development, and contribute to socio-economic transformation across the county.
By Alice Wanjiru and June Jebet
