TESO North, Kenya May 2 – Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for increased investments in the private sector as a solution to the country\’s unemployment problem.
While underscoring the importance of the private sector as the engine of economic growth, the Prime Minister said there was need for both local and foreign entrepreneurs to increase investments in ventures that create employment for the country\’s youths.
He observed that 750,000 youths who join the labour market every year from schools, colleges and universities cannot possibly find employment in the public service which has a total of 250,000 positions which are already occupied.
"Kenyans should therefore not pin their hopes on positions in the civil service as they only become available when those occupying them retire or through natural attrition, and when that occurs the positions are too few to go round," he added.
Speaking at Kolonya Girls secondary school where he addressed leaders from Amagoro constituency, the Premier assured Kenyans that any available jobs would be distributed fairly among all the communities in the country.
This, he pointed out, was in accordance with the constitution which seeks to address marginalisation and imbalance in the public service.
He decried negative ethnicity pointing out it was the cause of the many ills afflicting the Kenyan society
He said: "There is nothing wrong with having a sense of belonging to one\’s community but it is unacceptable and negative when one uses his community to subjugate others."
At the same time, the premier expressed concern that the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission(TJRC) had not taken off well noting that the encumbrances the commission was facing had put paid to total reconciliation among communities in the country.
He said, "There would for instance not have been any need for the Hague if the TJRC was effective since the commission would have reconciled the aggrieved with the offenders."
The PM announced that based on the Ligale Commission, Amagoro constituency would be subdivided into South and North constituencies to give the locals adequate representation in Parliament.
The PM announced that the government had prioritised the upgrading of the Busia-Malaba-Cheptaisi road to bitumen standards, adding construction work on the road would begin soon.
He had more good news for the residents with the announcement that Alupe hospital would soon be gazetted as a constituent college of Moi University while Amagoro Youth Polytechnic would be upgraded to offer certificates together with diplomas.
On staff shortages in local schools, Mr Odinga said the government had taken up the issue with the Teachers Service Commission with a view to staffing the schools with qualified teachers and improve on their academic performance.
He was accompanied by local MP and an Assistant Minister for Labour Sospeter Ojaamong, Assistant Ministers Alfred Khangati and Elizabeth Ongoro and MPs Ababu Namwamba and Yusuf Chanzu.
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