Increased investments key to unemployment crisis:PM

Written By:PMPS,    Posted: Mon, May 02, 2011

Prime minister Raila Odinga

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Monday called for increased investments in the private sector as a solution to the country's unemployment crisis.

Odinga said the private sector was the engine of economic growth thus the need for both local and foreign investors to increase investments in enterprises that create employment for the country's youths.

Odinga said the 750,000 youths who join the labour market every year from schools, colleges and universities cannot possibly find employment in the public service which is only 250,000 strong.

"Kenyans should therefore not pin their hopes on positions in the civil service as they only become available when those occupying them retire or through   natural attrition, and when that occurs the positions are too few to go round," he added.

The PM was speaking at Kolonya Girls secondary school where he addressed leaders from Amagoro constituency. 

He, however, assured Kenyans that any available positions would be distributed fairly among all the communities in the country in accordance with the constitution which envisages devolution, addressing all issues to do with marginalization and imbalance in the public service.

Odinga decried negative ethnicity which he said was the cause of the many ills afflicting the Kenyan society

"There is nothing wrong with having  a sense of belonging to one's community ,but it is  unacceptable  and negative  when one uses  his  community to subjugate others," said the PM.

Raila expressed concern that the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) faced many challenges in its formative stages which might have put paid to total reconciliation among communities in the country.

"There would for instance not have been any need for The Hague if the TJRC was effective since the commission would have reconciled the aggrieved with the offenders," said Odinga.

He said based on the Ligale Commission, Amagoro constituency would be subdivided into South and North to give the locals adequate representation in Parliament.

He further said the government had prioritized the upgrading of the Busia-Malaba-Cheptaisi road to bitumen standards and construction work on the road would begin soon.

Odinga added that Alupe hospital will soon be gazetted as a constituent college of Moi University while Amagoro Youth Polytechnic would be upgraded to offer certificates together with diplomas.

Odinga was accompanied by area MP Sospeter  Ojaamong, assistant ministers Alfred Khangati and Elizabeth Ongoro and MPs Ababu Namwamba and Yusuf Chanzu.