One year ago, 202 youth groups benefited from our County-funded YouthEmpowerment Programme. This programme is one of our transformativeflagship projects aimed at empowering a critical constituency in the County,at close to 70% of our total population.Today, again, we gather to empower another lot of beneficiaries drawingfrom the successes and lessons of the last disbursement.In the Financial Year 2018-2019, and from the lessons learnt, 127 groupspresented successful proposals from a total of 250 that participated. Thesegroups add to the growing list of young persons whose lives have beenchanged to become active players in the County and National economy,and are now wealth creators.Successful cases from the last batch of beneficiaries inspire my Governmentto further foreground and anchor the youth component, and agenda, inevery department and in every County intervention.The story of Aberdare Youth Group in Njabini-Kiburu is a constant reminderof the untapped potential of our youth. Gifted with a greenhouse fromwhere they started growing Capsicum (Hoho), the group has made salesof over Ksh. 300,000 and diversified their investment by purchasing a publicaddress system with 10 speakers. This group, of young men and women,is a testimony of the success of this empowerment programme.3Across in Mirangine, another group Mathakwa, equally sold tomatoesworth over Ksh. 500,000 from their greenhouse.Closer in Kanjuiri ward, Gathundia Youth Group, empowered with a knittingmachine, has been able to access procurement for pullovers from nearbyschools and used the proceeds to purchase a commercial plot, and hascurrently diversified to potatoes growing in a 5-acre piece of land they haveleased.Nothing gives more satisfaction than these stories of hope andtransformation. Real stories of real people, our brothers and sisters, whohitherto didnt have much hope but are today employers and movers of theeconomy, in their own small and big ways.Undoubtedly, these few examples, including the successful cases in KakaSelf-Help Group which has sold over 5000 chicks from its incubator,Kahuruko Youth Group with sales of KSh. 400,000 from tomatoes, andmany others dotting our villages and town centers, are the constantreminder that our youth are the drivers and future of our economy; all theyrequire is support from those entrusted with leadership positions.

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