The Department of State for Technical, Vocational Education and Training in Kenya rolled out a transformative strategy dubbed “Skilling for Peace” aimed at disarming youths in conflict-prone regions. Under the initiative, the Government is set to equip them with vital skills across the country in all conflict-affected areas.
According to the Principal Secretary, Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria, this is the time—very opportune and critical—for the young men in these volatile regions. The training will help keep them away from destructive activities such as cattle rustling and banditry that have raged in those areas for quite a while.
TVET, in cooperation with Interpeace, will roll out a drive in Northern Kenya and North Rift to ensure that the youth acquire relevant skills,” Dr. Muoria said. She pointed to the collaborative efforts with the State Department of TVET and Interpeace, which included a comprehensive study to explore livelihood opportunities for communities in these troubled regions.
It also identified areas of specific training that would be relevant for the youth and herders in conflict zones. The idea is to absorb these people into TVET programs within a wider framework for national security, part of a pathway toward sustainable peace, security, and development.
It was fruit time for the “Skills4Peace Initiative.” Some 500 youth from Tiaty constituency were lined up to join the North Rift Technical Vocational College for various programs. Youths who benefited have vowed to become ambassadors of the initiative, calling on others to shun cattle rustling for vocational training that can enable them to gain economic stability.
He called for partnerships between the government, county authorities, and development partners in rolling out the Skills for Peace initiative, arguing that it had the potential to durably and sustainably bring peace and prosperity to the entire conflict hotspot region in Kenya.