President William Ruto has hosted more than 5,000 artisans from Nairobi County at State House, where he outlined government initiatives aimed at creating employment opportunities and strengthening the informal sector.
In a statement on Thursday, July 23, Ruto said the government had established various programmes to support young people and place them at the centre of the economic transformation.
"We have established a range of transformative programmes to create employment opportunities for our young people across the country, ensuring that they are at the centre of our nation's economic transformation," he wrote.
Ruto said Nairobi County was among the areas benefiting from the government's Affordable Housing Programme, with dozens of projects expected to create jobs and stimulate economic activity in the capital.
"In Nairobi County alone, 36 Affordable Housing Programme projects are underway, and set to deliver more than 180,000 decent and units while creating tens of thousands of jobs and stimulating economic activity across the capital city," he added.
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Ruto said the government would continue investing in programmes designed to equip young people with the skills, opportunities and resources required to secure employment and establish sustainable livelihoods.
"We will continue to empower our young people by investing in programmes that equip them with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to secure meaningful employment and build sustainable livelihoods," he continued.
Ruto announced that the government would provide financial support to artisans and mechanics in Nairobi County to help them acquire modern equipment and tools aimed at improving productivity and expanding their businesses.
"To further strengthen the informal sector, we will provide Ksh80 million to support artisans and mechanics in Nairobi County to acquire modern equipment and tools, enabling them to improve productivity and expand their enterprises," he further said.
Ruto also highlighted the Recognition of Prior Learning programme, saying thousands of Kenyans had already registered to have their skills formally assessed and certified.
"At the same time, more than 40,000 Kenyans have already registered under the Recognition of Prior Learning programme, which will train and issue certificates to artisans of various crafts.
"We encourage more skilled workers to enrol so that their experience and expertise can be formally recognised, opening doors to greater economic participation," he noted.
Ruto further said the government was constructing modern workshops for artisans and mechanics across Nairobi to provide better working conditions and support the formalisation of their enterprises.
"Further, we are building modern workshops for artisans and mechanics across the city to provide dignified workplaces, enhance safety standards, and facilitate the licensing and formalisation of their businesses," he concluded.
This comes a day after Ruto announced that Major international music companies, namely Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music will all set up shop in Nairobi.
He made the revelation after hosting Victoria Oakley, Chief Executive Officer of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, at State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday, July 21.
Ruto explained that the international music labels' decision demonstrated their confidence in Kenya's talent.
"I am particularly delighted that Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have all agreed to establish a presence in Nairobi.
"This is a significant vote of confidence in Kenya's creative talent, our policy direction, and the reforms underway to build a globally competitive music ecosystem," the statement read in part.
Ruto noted that he and Oakley shared a commitment to strengthening Kenya's creative economy and positioning Nairobi as Africa's next major hub for the recorded music industry.
He stated that the next step of the process was implementation of the vision, which involves creating an environment where artistes, producers, publishers and investors can thrive together, generating jobs, exports and new opportunities for Kenyan creatives.
Part of the delegation at State House was musician Savara, who is synonymous with the Sauti Sol Music group.
