​National Youth Employment Authority to be Set Up Following Passing of Employment Bill

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday assented into law the National Employment Authority Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 08 of 2015.

The Bill had been sponsored by Nominated Senator Sakaja Johnson. Sakaja shared the news on Twitter where he posted pictures with himself and President Uhuru Kenyatta holding the signed bill.

Honored that the National Employment Authority Bill that I sponsored has been signed into law today by @UKenyatta pic.twitter.com/f6ADGuq0f4

— Sakaja Arthur Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) April 1, 2016

The National Employment Authority Act gives effect to Article 55(c) and 56(b) of the Constitution by providing a legal framework for the State to take affirmative measures to ensure youth and marginalized groups access employment and economic empowerment.

The National Employment Authority Act gives effect to Article 55(c) and 56(b) of the Constitution by providing a legal framework for the State to take affirmative measures to ensure youth and marginalized groups access employment and economic empowerment.

It establishes an Authority that will assume the functions of the National Employment Bureau whose mandate is to maintain a database for all jobless youth to facilitate their employment.

Once set up, the authority according to the Bill will:

1. a)Register all youth who are seeking employment;
2. b) Maintain and publish online an up- to-date database of all youth seeking employment;
3. c) Facilitate the employment and placement of youth in formal, informal or any other form of employment, locally and internationally;
4. d) Circulate in a timely manner job vacancies advertised by the Government to youth throughout Kenya through appropriate means, including use of social media, internet, and publication of materials;
5. e) Ensure easy access to any information pertaining to job vacancies for the youth;
6. f) Continuously liaise with both the national and county governments, private sector and other categories of employers to facilitate absorption of youth in employment;
7. g) Through established State mechanisms, facilitate cooperation with the private sector, informal sector and foreign governments and institutions with a view of facilitating employment of the youth;
8. h) Facilitate, through continuous training and other activities of education of youth on possible improvement of their employment chances and work skills;
9. i) Facilitate counseling of the youth and similar activities to improve the absorption of youth in employment and undertake activities to promote the development of youth in so far as employment of the youth is concerned;
10. j) Advise both the national and county governments on any policy matter touching on employment of the youth;
11. k) Facilitate the implementation of national government policies and county government policies on employment of youth;
12. l) Encourage and promote efficiency and responsibility in the employment of the youth;
13. m) Encourage equal opportunity employment practices for the benefit of the youth; and
14. n) Perform such other function as may be assigned to it by any other written law.

Read: The youth employment bill that scores A on effort and F on reality.

Other bills assented include:  The Small Claims Court Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 51 of 2015), The Mediated Version of the county governments (amendment) Bill (Senate Bill No. 1 of 2014) and the Mediated Version of the National Drought Management Authority Bill (National Assembly Bill No 42 of 2013).

The Small Claims Court Act actualizes the provisions of Article 48 and 169 of the Constitution by establishing a Small Claims Court.

The court so established is meant to expedite resolution of disputes relating to small monetary claims through informal and affordable avenues with adherence to the principals of law and natural justice.

The Mediated Version of the county governments (amendment) Act, passed by both Houses of Parliament, designates the physical headquarters for all the 47 counties in the country.

The Mediated Version of the National Drought Management Authority Act anchors into law the National Drought Management Authority.

The Authority is envisaged to be responsible for matters relating to drought preparedness, mitigation and coordinated response to adverse effects throughout the country.

Article by David Indeje.