Written by Mercy Kihugu

Entrepreneurship is a national asset, it drives economic growth, and promotes innovation & social change. Youth are the drivers of entrepreneurship hence the need to build & support young entrepreneurs.

Today, Nakuru County Government in collaboration with British Council and Youth Enterprise Development Fund ( YEDF) hosted a youth forum aimed at bringing together the youth to discuss issues affecting the youth and finding youth-led solutions through entrepreneurship.

The forum brought together youth entrepreneurs and over 200 youth drawn from all the 11 sub-counties where the youth were urged to change their mindset from being employees to employers.

Youth CECM, Madam Josephine Achieng noted that the forum is a great opportunity for creating awareness of available opportunities for the youth and ensuring the youth have access to information on the opportunities.

She further assured the administration led by H.E Susan Kihika of efforts to curb youth unemployment through AGPO opportunities in the government and promotion of the creative economy

Additionally, the CECM highlighted that the partnership will not only help incubate more startups and SMEs but also help in reducing crime and drug and substance abuse among young people.

Youth Enterprise Development Fund Chairperson, Hon Fatma Barayan said that the organization will continue championing youths to become their own bosses and creating more employment by ensuring the loans are readily available to the youths to aid transform ideas into businesses

Chris Karibe, a member of the Visioner Youth Group from Biashara Ward noted that the group was able to secure Kshs. 600,000 from the Youth Fund, which they invested in opening a smokies depot.

Today, the group has created job opportunities for 30 young people in the community.