Eldoret: Municipal Council Chairman Wants the Government to Give Salaries to Unemployed Youths

Eldoret Municipal Council Chairman, Julius Kitur has proposed that unemployed Kenyans below 45 years of age to receive monthly upkeep of Sh 15 thousand from the government.
He says this will cushion them from depression due to turf economic times.

“The government can plan on universal basic pay that at least everybody between 18 and forty-five years of age can be paid at least Sh 15000 to maintain them,” said Kitur.
He also said that those in charge of various projects planned by the government should ensure that the youths are among the beneficiaries.

“The President talked about cottage industries and as he is pursuing that, he must have a team that is thinking about cottage industries and industrial parks and what we are going to get and ensure it is managed well and youths get jobs,” noted Kitur.

Kitur further dismissed the increment of salaries for Members of Parliament and other public servants holding higher positions in the government saying that the highest salary earning for public servants in the country should be reduced.

“We should have a flat rate of Sh 500,000 for MPs because they have money that cushions them for development like NG-CDF, kitties, and allowances. You find someone who is earning above Sh 1.5 million and there is someone who is not earning. We must leave the greed of adding more to our MPs who are asking for more while their voters at home have nothing,” added Kitur.

According to Kitur, there should be a flat rate for the retirement age due to the high number of young people in productive age and the need for jobs.

“Retirement age should be at fifty. If you are employed at twenty, you retire at fifty. If you are employed at thirty you retire at fifty-five so that we have other people coming in because the population is growing and we have people to get into jobs,” stated Kitur.

Seeming to take a shot at opposition leader, Raila Odinga, Kitur has said that political retirement should be at 65 years saying that politicians above this age misuse the youths yet they offer them nothing.

“For politicians are not misusing the youths, anybody above 65 years must retire from politics and go home to enjoy pension to avoid running up and down and inciting the young people,” said the chairman.

The current retirement age of public servants in Kenya is 60 years after it was increased from 55 in 2009 with the public service allowed to engage a person above 60 years on contract if he or she possesses “rare” skills.