Teso North Member of Parliament, Dr. Oku Kaunya Addressing the media at the Teso Youth Empowerment Conference ,Chamasiri Technical and Vocational College (TVC) on Sunday…..Photo/IP
By Godfrey Wamalwa
Youth from Teso North Constituency have identified key areas of comparative advantage they intend to pursue following the conclusion of a three-day Teso Youth Empowerment Conference held at Chamasiri Technical and Vocational College (TVC) on Sunday.
The conference attracted top government officials and was officially closed by the Director for Research and Policy Analysis at the Public Service Commission, Dr. Philemon Kiprono.
The first day of the conference, held on Friday, was officiated by the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs, Hon. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, alongside Principal Secretary for MSME Development, Ms. Susan Mang’eni.
Briefing the media at the close of the conference, the host and Teso North Member of Parliament, Dr. Oku Kaunya said the event recorded outstanding outcomes across all participating agencies, reflecting a strong, results-oriented, inter-agency partnership approach to youth empowerment.
To demonstrate the youth’s appetite for skills development and global opportunities, Dr. Kaunya disclosed that:
1,035 youths registered for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
1,000 youths registered for Chinese and German language training
882 youths expressed interest in overseas employment opportunities.
He further revealed that Chamasiri TVC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Signet Institute (Australia), positioning the institution as a regional centre for training under the Australian curriculum.
“This marks a significant step in aligning our local workforce with global labour market demands, and it will yield far-reaching benefits for our youth,” Dr. Kaunya said.
The conference also yielded immediate employment outcomes, with:
50 youths securing jobs in Nairobi starting this month
Two nursing professionals recruited for employment in Austria
One fashion designer recruited for employment in Nairobi.
Dr. Kaunya commended all participating government agencies and partners for delivering tangible results, noting that the conference clearly demonstrated the power of coordinated inter-agency collaboration.
He particularly extended his gratitude to Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, Ms. Susan Mang’eni, and Mr. Shadrack Mwadime, Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development, for their leadership, support, and unwavering commitment to youth empowerment.
Speaking during the conference, Hon. Oparanya said he was pleased to engage with young people from across Teso North Constituency, noting that the forum provided a valuable platform to share information on various government initiatives aimed at driving holistic youth empowerment.
The Cabinet Secretary reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every young Kenyan is equipped with relevant skills to become economically productive, innovative, and self-reliant.
He also reiterated the government’s inclusive approach to development and encouraged the youth to deliberately build strong foundations for their future.
He assured the youth of Teso North of the Ministry’s full support in developing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and strengthening the cooperative movement across Busia County.
On his part, Dr. Kaunya called for enhanced support for MSMEs, particularly in industrialisation and manufacturing, with a focus on the commercial production of coffee and cotton as raw materials for the coffee and textile value chains—priority sectors under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
With the upcoming Nasewa Special Economic Zone, the proposed extension of the Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba, and the planned construction of a dry port, the MP urged the youth to prepare themselves to seize emerging opportunities and position themselves at the centre of the region’s economic transformation.
“Together, we are laying the foundation for a future where our young people are not job seekers, but job creators and drivers of sustainable economic growth,” Dr. Kaunya said.
