Uhuru: I wanted to be a president because I wanted to be like my father

President Uhuru Kenyatta at a State House function (PHOTO: Courtesy)

NAIROBI, KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta has challenged Kenyans to stop concentrating too much on how to make money at the expense of passing good values to their children for a better tomorrow.

He encouraged parents to pass good values to their children in order to build hopeful generations ready to take on bigger tasks ahead of them.

The President was responding to a question on his dreams when he was young asked by Purity Kendi, a MasterCard beneficiary from Laikipia County.

Purity, who is currently a masters student in California, asked the president what inspired him when he was growing up to become what he is today.

Like every young person, I dreamt of being a success and everyone is a creature of environment that they grow up in, I would be lying if I did not say that I did not want to be like my father,” he said.

“The environment I grew up in inspired me to be the president of Kenya,” he added stressing on why he wants Kenyans to create a good, firm moral grounding.

According to the president, Kenyans have lost the sense of family grounding affecting the current generation.

“I think we have lost that sense of family and grounding that some of us had the advantage of having, we have become too individualistic, materialistic and a lot of our children are losing hope because of the kind of environment they are growing in,” he said.

“We need just to get back and recreate those values that our parents had and that we have unfortunately failed to pass on to our children,” he said.

“Recreating the values would, for instance, help us bring up a generation of Kenyans who have an opportunity that I had and help them become presidents, ministers, chief executive officer and not just think on how they are going to get next buck.”

Uhuru is a son of Kenya’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. His presidency began on 9 April 2013 after being sworn in as 4th president succeeding Mwai Kibaki. He is currently serving a second term in the office.

He has been appointed cabinet minister in the dockets of finance, local government and served as a deputy prime minister under the coalition government in 2008.

Purity Kendi engaging President Uhuru at the launch of MasterCard Sh30 billion youth empowerement programme in Nairobi (PHOTO: Courtesy)

The President was speaking on Thursday at the official launch of MasterCard Foundation Young Africa Works program which aims to help 30 million young people across Africa secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.

The initiative aims to support five million young Kenyans to access dignified and fulfilling work over the next five years.

Young Africa Works program in Kenya is aligned to the country’s economic priorities, including the ‘Big Four’ sectors (enhancing manufacturing, food security and nutrition, universal health coverage, and affordable housing), as well as the digital economy.

To start, the Mastercard Foundation has committed Sh30 billion to Young Africa Works in Kenya, and will engage the private sector, including financial institutions, to grow businesses in the ‘Big Four’ sectors and create more work opportunities for young people.

"Kenya has a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, a strong private sector, and an enabling policy environment,” said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation. “Young Africa Works in Kenya builds on this momentum to prepare and connect young people to opportunities that will grow the economy and transform their lives.”

This includes partnerships with Equity Group Foundation, Equity Bank Group, KCB Group, and KCB Foundation, which will provide billions of shillings in capital, business development services, and market linkages to MSMEs to support their growth.