Kenyans challenged to utilise government resources for self-employment

By Leonard Murunga

Former Kajiado Senator Peter Ole Mositet has challenged Kenyans to make good use of government opportunities and resources for self-employment, which will in turn save them from relying on politicians for survival.

The former legislator who is the chairman, Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI), said the government has rolled out several development initiatives across the country, adding that Kenyans only need to embrace them to reap maximum benefits.

He spoke when he made a visit to the institute, in Kisumu on Monday.

"Today we are telling Kenyans we have a lot of things we can do through KIRDI and we can make sure that our young people are self-employed, and they can come up with cottage industries and out of that, we will not see the levels of poverty we are seeing. Through the national government, this facility is here to make sure we support our young men and women to become more industrialists,” he stated.

Through KIRDI, the Senator said, Kenyans have the opportunity to develop themselves regardless of their levels of education.

He added that they intend to empower Western Kenya residents on value addition, so as to make farming and fishing among other economic ventures, profitable.

"In this region, a number of people engage in farming and fishing. We are trying to see how we can make sure they make their feed, process or dry fish and even have enough ice so that fish does not rot, through this organisation."

On his part, Dr. Calvin Onyango, KIRDI Director General said they are working closely with county governments, in a bid to take their services closer to the people.

KIRDI’s mandate is to undertake research, development and innovation in industrial and allied technologies, and disseminate research findings to support industrial development.