Kenya on Monday launched an accelerated programme that seeks to create at least one million employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth in Kenya.

The entrepreneurship programme is to run annually for the next five years within the private sector.

Kenya’s Deputy President Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua said that the Kenya Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme initiative was to unlock the potential of small and medium enterprises.

He said the programme was tailored to support services that allowed them to grow and create jobs for young people.

Mr Gachagua said the programme would also leverage technology and digital transformation to scale up the businesses.

He revealed that youth unemployment in Kenya was estimated at 38.9 per cent, with an estimated one million young people getting into the labour market every year from academic institutions.

Flora Mutahi, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance chairwoman, said the initiative was expected to transform the youth labour market by contributing relevant evidence and data to addressing policy bottlenecks impeding accelerated job creation in the private sector.

Mutahi added that the target beneficiaries were youth in low-resource settings. 

(Xinhua/NAN)