Lamu, KENYA: Lamu parents have been asked to send their children to school so that they can be able to acquire employment at the new Lamu port LAPSSET when it finally kicks off operations around the year 2022.
The LAPSSET corridor development director general Sylvestre Kasuku said he was looking forward to having able youth from the county get employed at the new port once it operationalizes.
Speaking in Lamu on Monday,Kasuku said it would be a shame if Lamu being host county of the Lapsset project is unable to produce people capable enough to work in a port of such magnitude.
He urged youth to take up maritime and port related courses which will make it easy for them to be considered for employment when the port starts functioning.
Kasuku said the national government intends to set aside a reasonable chunk of employment opportunities at the port for the Lamu youth more than any other.
The Sh.2.5 Trillion project is being set up at Kililana area in Lamu West and so far construction of the first three terminals is at a 40% completion rate.
Kasuku said many local youth have already been employed as casuals at the ongoing construction of the terminals.
He said the free Lapsset scholarship programme shall go on until there are enough youth trained for port related matters in the county in preparation for when the port starts to function.
Whuile laying the foundation stone for the LAPSSET back in 2012,retired president Mwai Kibaki pledged that the government would freely offer scholarships to 1000 youth from Lamu to train for port related courses after which they are to be absorbed once the port operationalizes.
So far at least 400 students have benefitted from the scholarship programme.
“I am urging the youth here to take advantage of the scholarship programme.Those able parents should also send their children to train in port related matters.We already have a number of youth employed at the terminal site as coxswains,site engineer assistants and others.The government plans to hire atleast 1000 once the port is complete.That doesn’t mean others outside the programme but are able shouldn’t train for the courses.The Lapsset is a huge project with lots of prospects,”said Kasuku.
