Unemployment has reached crisis level, says PS

Kenya’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs Kinuthia Murugu has decried the high rate of unemployment among the youth saying it has reached a crisis level.

Murugu said most of the youth in the Kenya who constitute over 60 per cent of the population are languishing in abject poverty due to unemployment.

He noted that the hardest hit are those from poor families, majority of whom are migrating to urban centres in search of employment where they end up in a more hopeless situation as they struggle to make ends meet.

Speaking during the closing of street families’ rehabilitation exhibition at KICC, the PS said efforts aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of the youth are being sought.

“In an effort aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of the youth, the Government through the ministries of Youth Affairs, Local Government and the Street Families Trust Fund launched the National Youth Service Reformed Youth Training Programme in 2003,” said the PS.

He further disclosed that the Local Government ministry initiated measures to address unemployment through the street families rehabilitation fund in partnership with various government ministries, private sector, development partners, local authorities and children’s institutions.

Murugu said the objectives of the programme was to help the street families rediscover their talents as well as equip them with the necessary skills to prepare them for formal or self-employment.

He said 300 former street children were admitted to the NYS college in Gilgil on the 26th of April 2003 while the second lot of 500 youths joined the college six months later where they were trained in vocational fields such as tailoring and building.

According to the PS, some of them were able to secure formal employment after the training.

“Its therefore recommended that those who have not been able to secure employment be facilitated by the trust fund to acquire tools of trade to enable them engage in self-employment,’’ said the PS.

The PS, however, said besides unemployment, another challenge facing the NYS graduates was lack of “exit strategy since majority of them did not have anywhere they could call home”.

Lake Basin reopens Sh500m rice facility

THE Multi-Million shillings rice mill owned by the Lake Basin Development Authority has now started normal operations following a three months lull that was caused by the post election violence.

LBDA Managing Director Joseph Khaemba says that the Sh.500 million mill started operations two weeks ago.

Khaemba said that they have some 300 bags of rice paddy that will enable the mill to operate for some time as they look for ways and means of getting more paddies.

He said there is a major shortage of rice paddy at the moment in the country. Khaemba who was briefing the press on the status of the Mill which was funded through funding from the African Development says that they will be forced to buy paddy even from Tanzania if need arises.

The MD who was optimistic that things will be all right indicates that they have put in place short team measures aimed at making the mill run normally.

Khaemba says that they will also get some paddy from their own farms such as Bunyala and Sangallo so that the rice mill can operate normally.

He notes that here is a major rice shortage in the country coupled with few supplies of Paddy which they can mill at the facility that has been upgraded.

Khaemba says that they lost millions of shillings in terms of rice lost and property that was vandalized by members of the public during the post poll violence in December.

He says that looters carried away rice and other assorted items belonging to a number of non governmental organizations.

Khaemba says that they lost close to 15 million shillings during the post election violence. He says that they are at the moment looking for a strategic partner for the mill that he says is quite feasible He says that thugs stole rice, maize and office equipments and carried away some computers in addition to damaging some them.

Khaemba however says that the mill itself remained intact and can still operate normally. He also notes that the mill has been operating below its required 20,000 metric tones per year.

The MD notes that the mill crushes only 3000 metric tones per year which he notes is far below its required capacity. Khaemba says that they want to go out of their way to get rice from far flung areas in addition to providing extension services.

He also says that they will increase sugar prices after rebranding their products so that they can meet increasing demands at the production level. The thugs also damaged two Lorries and the perimeter wall of the premises during the chaos.

He says that they will in future have their own nucleus estates in order to meet the paddy shortfall that is being realized at the moment in the country.

Kenyan Brewer launches new non alcoholic drink

East Africa Breweries Limited, the region’s leading producer of branded alcohol beverage has launched a new soft drink Alvaro.

This comes in the wake of another non-alcoholic one, Malta Guinness Malta Guinness is however yet to make an impact in the market, due to cut throat competition posed by mineral water products, Cocacola, and packed juices.

The new Alvaro non-alcoholic malt-based drink will retail at Ksh 25 and will be available across all channels both in bars as well as other domestic retail outlets.

According to EABL’s strategy Director Gerge Karanja, Alvaro is a sophisticated adult drink and stays true to EABL’s spirit of innovation which is their key pillar of growth and that it was the first of many products that will be launched by the company’s part of the EABL-Diageo partnership in Nairobi.

Diageo is a global giant in premium drinks and the majority shareholder at EABL. Karanja said to ensure the growth of Alvaro in the market and achieve the estimated five per cent of the market, the brand would be supported by sampling at various outlets.

Besides undertaking visibility campaigns, he added, the drink would also sponsor different activities especially providing an alternative at various events hosted by EABL as part of the brand’s campaign.

Diageo Africa Innovations Director, Mr Chris Thomas, said Kenya was the first country to pilot the drink because of its dynamism.