Remarks · 1 September 2023
• Distinguished Guests; • Good Morning;
It is my pleasure join you for the commissioning of Talanta House, the new home of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports.
This project reflects our commitment to sports, youth and the arts and is now the nerve center of the Talanta Hela Initiative, our flagship program to monetize talent in our country.
This is the new home for the advancement of sports, the growth of the arts and the empowerment of the youth. This is the new home of sports promotion: football, volleyball, swimming, golf, motorsport, tennis, cycling, shooting, archery and cricket, among others.
This building brings together all Ministry staff under one roof, this will promote collaboration, build synergies and facilitate a constant exchange of ideas. With all staff in close proximity, we can harness their collective expertise, break down silos, and foster a culture of cross-disciplinary collaboration.
The Talanta Hela Initiative is a true Bottom-Up program; focused on empowerment, the creation of opportunities and the transformation of sports, yourh affairs and the arts.
Investing in the monetization of talent will bolster entrepreneurship, innovation and economic growth through the conversion of passions into livelihoods, creating an empowered and selfreliant generation.
Through Talanta Hela, we encourage our youth to dream big and pursue their artistic and sporting goals with unwavering determination.
The government is committed to providing the infrastructure that will return international football to Kenya. We are prioritizing the completion and upgrading of stalled/ old facilities in optimal utility areas and high potential talent zones.
We are, at this moment, upgrading the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nyayo National Stadium and the Kipchoge Keino Stadium, in Eldoret. These works will boost our bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Uganda and Tanzania.
The ministry is also charged with the crucial mandate of youth development as indicated in the Executive Order No. 1 of 9th, January, 2023 (Revised in February, 2023).
Today 29.1% of the Kenya’s population is between the ages 18 and 35 years. We must invest in these young people to bring the best out of them so that their dynamism, capacity for innovation and talents can contribute to the transformation of our nation.
We are committed to investing in and developing the talent and innovativeness of our youth-we consider them integral to the Creative Economy Pillar of the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda and essential to the entire plan.
The creative industry can significantly add value to Kenya’s exports such as fashion, leather products and craft industries among others. Further, we will mainstream the creative economy into Brand Kenya and our commercial diplomacy, including appointing accomplished Kenyan artistes and creative sector personalities as cultural ambassadors.
To promote the concept of Innovation and Start-Ups the Presidential Innovation Challenge is scheduled to kick off this month and will culminate in the Commonwealth Innovation Week where we will award the best Innovations and top StartUps as part of Kenya@60 Celebrations.
On 12th, August, 2023 the Ministry led the observance of International Youth Day under the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”.
I applaud the focus on sustainability and encourage the Ministry to bring more young people into climate action and Environmental protection.
We have recuited a 4,000 strong Green Army on temporary contracts to support our national tree planting program and ecosystem restoration programme.
In order to address the resource constraints facing observation of the International Youth Day and its build up activities, I direct the National Treasury to create a budgetary Vote Item that will be ring fenced for the provision of funds for the National Youth Week build up activities and the observation of the International Youth Day every year starting from Financial Year 2024/ 2025.
I encourage young people to consider venturing into the emerging Blue, Green and Orange economies.
To enable them take advantage of these sectors I urge the various Affirmative Action Funds: Hustler Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), Women Enterprise Fund (WEF), Uwezo Fund and National Government
Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to develop tailor made facilities targeting youth in the Blue, Green and Orange economy spaces.
This will help in the alleviation of key challenges that face youth in the country including high levels of inactivity, unemployment and underemployment, early and unintended pregnancies, crime , alcoholism, drugs use and substance abuse among others.
We cannot leave the youth of this country behind, in any project, program and or sector: It is the responsibility of this ministry to ensure their full participation in every aspect of national development.
I am aware of the various policy, legal and regulatory frameworks under development by the Ministry including the Kenya Youth Development Bill, 2023, review of the National Youth Council Act, No. 10 of 2009 and the Creative Economy Bill among others. This will ensure that key provisions touching on youth in the Constitution, the Kenya Vision 2030 Blueprint and the Kenya Kwanza Plan are realised.
It is now my pleasure to declare Talanta Plaza officially commissioned as the Headquarters of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports.
Thank you. God Bless Kenya.