Youth Gender Policy Bears Fruits as GBV cases drop significantly

BY VINCENT KORIR

Vices relating to Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Baringo County is beginning to drop steadily following enforcement of newly conceptionalized Youth policy which has helped in mitigation of the predisposing factors.

The county government which took concern over the high prevalent cases of the vices like teenage pregnancies and early marriages stemming from GBV worked with National Youth Council to develop the Policy.

Daudi Aengwo who is the county director of Youth and Gender while speaking exclusively to Rural

Times at his office in Kabarnet town over youth and gender gaps stated that the county Youth Policy dubbed GBV Act 2022 was also crafted with support from other partners like World Food Programme WFP, Elimu Kwanza Initiative, Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development, CSO’s and CEDGG.

Aengwo noted that his department is looking forward for sensitization funds to enable them facilitate public sensitization on the teething GBV matters bedeviling the socio-economic growth and development of the susceptible group of persons.

Trans Nzioa County

He said the public sensitization seeks to educate the general public from the communities living in the seven sub-counties in Baringo in a view to reduce incidences like teenage pregnancies which greatly hindered education especially of girl who drop out of school over the untimely blessings.

“Due to positive transformation brought by the Youth Policy, we have currently seen teenage pregnancies dropping significantly compared to our statistics of 2021 whereby more than a thousand cases were recorded countywide with 40 of them being KCSE and KCPE candidates,” said Aengwo.

The county director of Youth and Gender observed that the young Kenyans in Baringo like any other parts of the country are sexually active at a tender age, a move which he noted posed an increase of HIV infections to 1.6 percent in 2022 compared to the 2021 infections that stood at 1.2 percent.

The high infection rate among the youth in Baringo caused panic and medical teams who were much shocked lauded the efforts of our department which conducted the sensitization that has helped in lowering HIV/Aids infections, reduction of early marriages besides minimizing cases of Female circumcision (FGM) and other forms of GBV, said Aengwo.

He also pointed out that several young children facing parental neglect are subjected to GBV and they are working with partners mostly being Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and NGOs to tackle the GBV’s through sporting activities so as to reduce the issues emanating from immorality in which those below 18 are culpable.

Meanwhile the county director of youth further expressed concerns over high rate of youth unemployment in which he revealed that the county government in liaison with National Youth Council is at an advanced stage of developing a Youth Policy to address the joblessness.

The draft policy which is ready is a tool to be used by the county government to seek for partnership with World Food Programme to enable the county government to allocate funds for establishing income generating activities to benefit youth aged between 18 to 25 who form 40 percent of the estimated 700, 000 people living in Baringo.

Governor Natembeya asks Graduates to be Job creators ,not seekers

BY CORESPONDENT

terprises.

The governor made these remarks during the official opening of a new dispensary and water tower in Birunda, which will benefit locals.

“Education should broaden one's mindset and create opportunities for job creation, while also offering the option to seek employment “said the Governor.

to send students away when they cannot afford the lunch program.

Natembeya urged principals to consider alternative options, such as allowing students to carry with them any locally available food, rather than demanding cash.

combating hunger in the county. This would involve increasing subsidies for fertilizers and seeds in the next financial year.

University graduates from Trans Nzoia County have received advice from Governor George Natembeya to utilize their skills in creating jobs instead of solely seeking employment.

He emphasized that white-collar jobs are limited and encouraged the educated class to leverage their expertise to establish their own en-

He emphasized that graduates who solely focus on submitting their resumes daily in pursuit of jobs are no different from individuals who have not received a formal education.

The governor also raised concerns about school principals who expel students due to lack of lunch money.

He mentioned that his administration has sponsored all day-scholar Form One students and questioned why some principals choose

He emphasized the importance of nurturing the dreams of future leaders, including potential presidents and governors.

Natembeya highlighted the expansion plans for the newly opened dispensary, intending to transform it into a health center to provide enhanced services to the community.

He also pledged to increase the healthcare budget in the upcoming 2023-2024 financial year to procure medications for all hospitals across the county.

The governor further expressed his commitment to making agriculture more profitable and

He encouraged locals to form groups and apply for the Nawiri funds, a program that aims to provide financial assistance to vulnerable individuals and those in lower socioeconomic classes.

The county government has allocated 102 million shillings for the Nawiri fund this year, which will enable eligible groups to start or expand their businesses.

In attendence were Deputy Governor Phelomenah Kapkory,County secretary Truphosa Awuor,CECs Pepela Wanjala(Health),Janerose Mutama(Lands),Sam Ojwang(Public service Management),Patrick Gacheru(Water and Environment) and other County Government officers.

KERICHO COUNTY