Eldoret Leo The Champions Speak 
Reprieve as the Uasin Gishu County internship program set to provide 650 youth with formal employment opportunities. Photo Courtesy
After being sidelined, ignored and rejected in government initiatives and policies including attending countless interviews but left with just a hollow dream of being absorbed through a phone call, the recently advertised and much publicized Uasin Gishu county internships program offers the best opportunity to jobless graduates to join the workforce and play their part in nation-building.
Rarely do county governments with the patronage of dysfunctional national government claim credit for anything in Kenya, but Uasin Gishu county government deserves not only credit but also support from Kenyans and all people of goodwill in the world.
The initiative to start one of a kind internship program for a 12-month period for all inexperienced graduates is a laudable step which will set a positive precedent in our county and also the entire nation. For the first time, ‘we the people,’ are proud of the government which essentially should serve its people.
The interns have been presented with life-changing opportunities to establish links with the right and resourceful people and also enrich themselves with necessary job experience and expertise which will turn-around fortunes in their lives altogether.
My sincere hope is that the process of selecting the interns will be undertaken in a fair and transparent manner to ensure every deserving individual secures a chance to serve the county.
Quality labor and workforce are directly proportional to productivity in any organization. Merit should never be overlooked especially in a competitive process such as this. Organizers and all stakeholders should not be fazed by underhand deals from corrupt cartels who use dubious methods to secure such opportunities.
The program is doable, and I’m upbeat about its prospects. This is a legacy that will run for generations and me being a native of this county, even though, I am not planning to apply, must say I am proud of this program.
There’s a mismatch between knowledge, skills, and competencies required in the market and what the universities offer. Most graduates remain unemployed, lacking the skills and necessary knowledge needed to traverse the job market. Photo Courtesy
The Uasin Gishu County internship program is a direct challenge to our President who in fact made a promise to provide paid internships to graduates countrywide, while in the campaign trail in the run-up to last year elections.
Now is the time the national government joins counties to push for this change from status quo. Competence and productivity go hand in hand, and the only way to achieve this is by embracing and entrenching this culture as part of our systems. Besides, advanced economies like Germany and United States among many have done it!
Kenya also has what it takes. For our very own to compete globally, we must equip them first with national and local opportunities to nurture their dreams and acquire requisite expertise, and there is no better time to restore hope to our young people than now.
The youth have been deprived, robbed and abused by the system. They’ve spent almost their entire lives in school. Realising them to a world with harsh economic times while they have no work experience, will inevitably lower their self-esteem and kill their hopes of a successful life.
The youth as everyone else have been victims of a broken education system in Kenya. To fight cybercrimes, robberies, prostitution, and poverty, the paid Uasin Gishu County internship program is just part of the solution to cure the social ills that may afflict the societal growth and progress.
The future looks bright for the 650 youths who will get a spot at the Uasin Gishu County internship program. However, for the majority of unemployed graduates, more needs to be done to provide such opportunities in the county and country at large.
Ezra Kimutai
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