ICT CS Joe Mucheru has challenged the youth to exploit their talents and creativity for income-generating opportunities.
Mucheru on Thursday said this will go a long way in mitigating and tackling the rising unemployment rates.
Speaking during a webinar organized by Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) to discuss the role of the creative sector in building the digital economy, Mucheru said many countries have leveraged on the creative sector to create job opportunities and boost their economies.
He said a time has come for the young generation in the country to be on the forefront by fully utilizing their talents in the sector to earn a living and to spur Kenya’s digital economy.
“Kenya’s creative sector is a vibrant one, brimming with talent and great possibility, especially when looked at through the opportunities it affords to our youthful population,” he said.
Mucheru added, “I urge more youth in Kenya to take it upon themselves to utilise the available opportunities in the sector to create employment for themselves and eventually contribute to our economy”.
The CS said the government through his Ministry is currently implementing several projects under the Ajira Digital Program to support the creative sector across the country.
“We are currently implementing several programs to support our efforts in this area. Through the Studio Mashinani project which is a key component of the Ajira Digital Program, we are supporting our youth in the creative industry by providing them with quality audio production facilities to record their creative arts even with limited financial resources,” he said.
He said that was being done because the government is aware of the challenges many young people face when it comes to accessing production equipment.
He said they have established over 300 Constituency Innovation Hubs (CIHs) where the youth are trained on online jobs through the Ajira Digital platform.
His sentiments were echoed by Kenya Film Commission CEO Timothy Owase who said pro-activeness will be key in leveraging available opportunities.
“The digital economy is here to stay and we must therefore be prepared to leverage on it as a country and avoid being left behind because the creative sector no doubt plays a huge role in this digital economy,” he said.
Owase noted that with several Kenyan-Made films premiering on Netflix it is evident that last year was a good year for the country’s film sector.
KoTDA CEO Eng John Tanui said the Authority is currently in the process of developing a Digital Media City which will comprise TV broadcasting, animation and gaming, filming and photography, and ICT programming.
The project, he said, will support the country’s creative sector by providing a digital media and entertainment ecosystem for research, training, propagation of new technologies, innovation, and production of content.
The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Managing Director Naim Bilal emphasized that the role of media in the creative economy cannot be overstated, adding that the Government is keen on expanding opportunities for those keen to grow.
Akinyi Odongo, a creative Director on her part said for a long time fashion and design has not been looked at as a serious career space, but things are now changing, and the COVID-19 has taught many Kenyans that it is a significant area, especially when it comes to the provision of PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment).
She said fashion and design is a multi-billion dollars industry and there is a need for young people to position themselves in a better place in order to bite the big pie.