President Uhuru Kenyatta and his German Counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier have launched a 39.4 million Euro youth empowerment vocational training programme.
The programme is set to equip the youth with requisite skills to enable them contribute effectively to the country’s development.
Speaking at Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), President Kenyatta termed the launch as a big boost to the country’s quest to empower its youth with technical know-how needed to grow the country’s economy.
“Today, our quest to foster skills development in Kenya once again gains greater momentum, as we unveil the partnership between the Government of Kenya and the Federal Republic of Germany,” the President said.
The programme will be implemented in two phases with the first phase costing 26.4 million Euros where the German Government will provide 25 million Euros while Kenya will contribute 1.4 million Euros.
The President said the targeted institutions in the first phase of the programme include Thika Technical Training Institute, Nairobi Technical Training Institute and Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology which are expected to benefit in the areas of automotive engineering, body building and welding as well as industrial mechatronics.
The second phase will be worth 13 million Euros out of whichGermany and Kenya will contribute12 million and one million Euros respectively.
Kitale National Polytechnic, Bumbe Technical Training Institute, Ekerubo Gietai and Ramogi Institute of Applied Science will be beneficiaries of the second phase that will cover building and civil works, energy and ICT subject areas.
During the event, President Kenyatta and his German counterpart also laid the foundation stone for a centre of excellence in the training of industrial mechatronics at KIST.
President Kenyatta thanked the Federal Republic of Germany for supporting Kenya in its efforts to improve the technical and vocational training in the country.
“This occasion is a symbol of the great collaboration between our two countries. Through your government, the youth who form the majority of our population, will be better equipped with relevant skills necessary to help them play a big role in national development,” he said.
The President emphasized that equipping the youth with relevant technical skills will bring about the socio-economic liberation that forms the greatest task of the current generation.