The Kericho County Youth Development Bill, 2024 and the Kericho County Community Health Services Bill, 2024 have been formally assented into law, marking a significant step in expanding structured youth support and improving the delivery of community-based healthcare across the county.
Kericho Governor Dr. Eric Mutai, who presided over the assenting ceremony in his office attended by several County Executive Committee Members, the County Attorney Mr. Gedion Mutai and a few area leaders, said the two laws are intended to close long-standing gaps in youth employment, strengthen coordination of frontline services and expand access to essential public programmes for residents across the county.
Dr. Mutai explained that the Youth Development Bill establishes the Kericho County Youth Development Board, a statutory body tasked with coordinating youth programmes, guiding resource allocation to priority initiatives and ensuring young people are formally represented in county planning and decision-making processes.
He added that the law provides legal backing for the 30 per cent procurement reservation for youth, obliging county departments to track and document compliance, publicly announce procurement opportunities, and submit quarterly reports on the number of young contractors awarded county tenders.
“At the same time, the law obligates the county to develop annual youth action plans detailing available training opportunities, internship placements, enterprise support, and skill-development activities aligned to market demands in agriculture, ICT, construction, and hospitality,” Dr. Mutai said.
At the same time, the Governor pointed out that the Community Health Services Bill sets up a formal Community Health Committee charged with coordinating and overseeing community health services.
The Bill also mandates the creation of a community health profile to assess local health needs, and provides for the appointment of Community Health Assistants (CHAs) by the County Public Service Board to support front‑line household-level health activities.
Dr. Mutai mentioned that the law provides for Community Health Assistants (CHAs) to support household-level health activities, assist in collecting and maintaining community health data, identify local health needs, and work under the supervision of the Community Health Committee to ensure that community health services are delivered effectively and reported to the County Executive Committee member.
“By assenting to these laws, we are enhancing youth opportunities and strengthening community health services for every household in Kericho, and the county has already allocated funds in the 2024/2025 financial year to support the operationalization of the Youth Development Board, the Community Health Committees, recruitment and training of Community Health Assistants and Volunteers, as well as the necessary data and reporting systems to ensure effective implementation,” explained Mutai.
On his part, Nominated MCA Mr. Issack Matker aka Isma, who witnessed the assenting ceremony, said the Youth Development Bill will enable the county to systematically track youth programmes, support the identification of skills gaps among young people, and promote equitable access to enterprise and mentorship initiatives across all sub-counties, ensuring that youth development is planned and monitored effectively.
“This law reflects the aspirations of young people across Kericho and ensures fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity in all youth-related programs,” Isma said.
By Kibe Mburu
