By Habil Onyango
With the ever-increasing employment crisis in the country, the government is working on strategies to open up employment opportunities in the informal sectors.
Lack of formal employment has precipitated frustrations and disappointment in the youths despite acquiring skills and various academic qualifications.
But in Central Kenya, the government is engaging the youths to explore and exploit employment opportunities arising from the ongoing national Affordable Housing Units (AHU) projects which are being undertaken in the five Counties within the region.
Government Spokesman Dr. Isaac Mwaura said the Government has allocated Shs.1.135 billion for the Jua Kali and MSMEs for the Central region to boost their income.
“The, ongoing AHU in the Central region has already created job opportunities where an average of 2,130 daily workers are on site, with an additional 5,000 skilled and low-skilled workers engaged directly and indirectly off-site across the housing economic value chain in the region,” he said
He said the beneficiaries are involved in the production of steel doors, steel windows, wooden doors, joinery, and balustrades, as well as landscaping on-site in the 14 projects.
He said that the State Department for Housing and Urban Development and the National Housing Corporation (NHC) were in the process of constructing 1,000,000 AHU throughout the Country in five year
He said the Central region has 7,628 AHUs under construction which has created employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled labour
Mwaura spoke in Kirinyaga Central, NG-CDF Hall during his weekly briefings, he said “In Ruiru, we found a group which calls themselves Ruiru bypass fabricators who have benefited from a Sh 107 Million contract,” he said.
Mwaura said under the project, the Government has already certified 213 artisans due to having prior experience, and also at the same time, they are keen on those who might have not gotten an opportunity to go to school to register at the Open University of Kenya, where 3289 are enrolled so that they can get certified.
Mwaura appealed to the youths to embrace good work ethics to ensure continued engagement by the employers.
“The 14 AHP projects include; two in Kirinyaga county (Kirinyaga AHP with 100 units and the Gichugu AHP, 110 units), two in Nyeri county (Nyeri Blue Valley AHP with 381 units and Ruring’u AHP in Nyeri Town, 478 units),” said Mwaura.
“Three in Nyandarua (Kinangop North AHP with 220 units, Ol Kalou AHP by the National Housing Corporation with 100 units, and the Ol Kalou AHP by the State Department for Housing with 420 units),
He said the Government was undertaking another project in Murang’a county at Makenji where 220 units were being constructed.
In Kiambu six projects are ongoing which are in, Ruiru AHP (1050 units), Thika AHP-Kings Orchid (975 units), Thika Depot AHP (436 units), Thika Bustani AHP (996 units), Kikuyu Kabete AHP (1,404 units) and the Limuru AHP with 738 units.
