The University of Nairobi’s UNESCO/UNITWIN Chair held a vibrant youth summit dubbed “Elimika Wajibika Vijana Amkeni.” The summit held on June 13, 2019 was a side event of the ongoing Nairobi Innovations Week.
The summit was a special mentorship session for youth drawn from various counties including Makueni, Kwale, Homabay, Nairobi, Garissa, Embu and Mombasa among others.
Speaking during the event, chief guest, Prof. Githu Muigai called upon youth to continuously educate themselves in order to stay relevant in the modern world. “Top 5 biggest companies in the world like Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb and Spotify were created by young people which is proof enough that knowledge is key.” Said Prof Muigai. The former Attorney General of Kenya also urged young people to be aggressive and innovative. “You have to take yourself seriously because there is never an invitation to the table rather you storm to the table with an innovation and skills that cannot be taken for granted.”
Former Attorney General, Prof. Githu Muigai Addressing Attendants During Elimika Youth Summit
Vice Chancellor Prof. Peter Mbithi on his part asked the youth to believe in the endless possibilities of the Kenyan dream. The VC represented by Prof Bernard Aduda said, “Kuwajibika means taking responsibility as a citizen of this country by providing solutions to issues affecting society.”
Principal College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof Enos Njeru asked the youth to take up risks without fear of failure because failure provided useful lessons for successful ventures.
Mr. Raymond Ochieng, Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs urged youth to take advantage of opportunities provided by the government. “The government has set up numerous funds and resources for the youth yet just few are taking advantage of them.”
Prof. Judith Bahemuka, UNESCO/UNITWIN chairperson expressed her pride over the achievements of the programme which started five years ago. “We will not stop until our youth are empowered to stand up on their own, we will build capacity for them, we shall mentor them to start and prosper in their business ventures and we shall also make sure that our youth are actively involved in decision making processes.” she remarked.
UNESCO/UNITWIN Chairperson Prof. Bahemuka Was Hopeful About Youth Potential
Other speakers during the event included, Dr. Lamin Abdulrahman, Programme Specialist, UNESCO, Ms. Jacqueline Njeru, Deputy Director KNATCOM, Prof. Winnie Mitullah, Prof. Timothy Waema, Prof. Emmanuel Mutisya, Chairman Diaspora and Ms. Ntenya Mule from Antara Health among others.