Locals blast leaders telling jobless youth to employ themselves

Henry Kariuki displays some of the products he makes from recycled waste at his shop in Kavutiri market, Embu. [Joseph Muchiri/Standard]

Members of an Embu County-based group have told off leaders who tell jobless people to employ themselves, whereas the same leaders have clinched state employment for decades.

The Manyatta Stakeholders Forum (MASHF), which aims at empowering farmers and business people in the area through training, concurred that such leaders should lead by example.

They said it was not easy to venture into self-employment since leaders were not providing proper platforms and guidelines.

Henry Kariuki, a leader of the group, said elected leaders have a mandate of providing friendly platforms for electorates that will not only see unemployed people getting jobs but also raising the economic status of the society.

“Many people who try to engage in self-employment find it hard when applying for grants and loans,” said Kariuki who makes charcoal briquettes using soil and old newspapers found in the markets.

MASHF Chairman Thomas Nyaga urged the government through the elected leaders to provide friendly platforms aimed at empowering young farmers, graduates, and entrepreneurs to engage in ventures which will also create more job opportunities for other people.

Stella Mukami, a member, said that even if they try to engage themselves in projects such as agribusiness, it was hard to maneuver due to market challenges and expensive farm inputs.

“Due to unemployment, many young people lose hope in life and engage in drug abuse and other immoral behaviour,” she said.

MASHF has over 150 members drawn from the County.