By Education News Reporter
Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Innovation Principal Secretary (PS) Jerome Ochieng has urged youths to make informed choices during the August 9 general election.
Ochieng said the youth comprise 70 percent of the country’s population, adding that 30 percent of them were aged 18-24 and will take part in the polls for the first time.
He said the government recognizes the important role the youth play in nation building, adding that the National Youth Voter Educators Training exercise will open their minds to participate in the elections.
The PS spoke in Kisumu where the government rolled out a national voter education drive for youths.
“We recognize the important role the youth can play in transforming our nation through the electoral process and are empowering them to take their rightful place in the governance of our nation,” he said.
Ochieng said the socio-economic development of the country was dependent on political leadership, urging the youth to take part in the elections and ensure the right leadership is in place for the stability of the nation.
The training, he added, was in line with the government’s policy to ensure the youth have access to education, training, opportunities and space to participate in political, social and economic activities.
“It is for this reason that we encourage forums such as this that seek to empower our young people to fully participate and receive the requisite information and knowledge that will allow them to exercise their right to vote in a peaceful manner,” he said.
Over 200 youths from the western region will benefit from the training, which covers all the voting processes.
Mr Ochieng said the youth must be vehicles of peace to ensure that the elections are held in a free, fair and transparent manner.
He lauded the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for partnering with the government to roll out the training.
The training targets youth leaders from ten regions across the country, who would in turn train others within their respective regions ahead of the August 9 polls.
