Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana has offered his official residence as an alternative area for the temporary setup of a youth empowerment and innovation centre that will serve the entire coast region.
Governor Godhana said that in the event a conflict over the proposed place emerges, or the stakeholders found the proposed site insecure or too far for the public to access, he would liaise with the Education Executive and the county assembly education committee to approve construction of the facility at his official residence.
Among the facilities to be incorporated at the Innovation Center are art studios, a swimming pool, a basketball court, a table tennis court and a darts area.
"Should there be any form of pull-and-push in establishing the facility then I shall seek a resolution converting my official residence to temporarily serve the purpose until when a facility is put up," he said.
However, some youth have protested the governor's offer, terming it selfish and inconvenient.
According to the youth, there is vast land for the project, hence the county administration should choose a place earmarked for development in the event a conflict emerges.
"Just right now, you cannot go through the first gate to the governor's residence without an appointment, you can imagine what will happen when they establish a swimming pool for the youth in the governor's residence or place a pool table there," said Hamisi Maro.
The youth urged the governor to prepare an alternative land that can fit the proposed ideas, open and easy for people to access in case the proposed place proves to be inadequate.
The youth will also be trained on business skills, social entrepreneurship and employability skills. There will also be programs on leadership and values, among others.
"Anyone who understands the composition of youth in Tana River County will understand that they are one of the major assets in the region, and to tap these assets, their talents must be nurtured to meet their full potential," he said.
He added that the county had established a youth talent center at Hola VTC by renovating an abandoned hostel and converting it into a model center.
To encourage enrolment and retention, the governor noted that the county government will be paying every registered trainee Sh15,000 per year.
He said that the Inuka fund act was almost due, hence it will expand access to finances in the promotion of youth, women businesses, and enterprises for economic growth.
He said the funds will generate gainful self-employment for the youth and women as well as model an alternative framework in funding community-driven development.
