Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Sherrif’s call to investors
By Mercy SimiyuMombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff has asked foreign investors in the county to employ local laborers.
The county boss described unemployment in Mombasa, especially among the youth, as a ticking time bomb.
Speaking during the Taifa Gas Group launch in Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zonethe, Abdulswamad stressed that given the chance, youth in the Coastal were able to deliver as they had acquired the relevant requite skills.
The Taifa Gas group is expected to create employment opportunities for up to 70,000 Kenyans.
“We are ready to work with foreign investors to fight unemployment. We have a database of all the skills that Mombasa County has. We will present it to them so our people can also benefit from such projects,” he said.
As per the United Nations macrotrend projection, the metro area population of Mombasa in 2022 is 1,389,000, a 3.58 percent increase from 2021.
With 25 percent of the Kenyan population aged between 18 and 35, it implies the population of youth in Mombasa is approximately 347,250.
The Mombasa governor has been at the forefront of fighting unemployment among the youth.
He recently promised to seek opportunities and airlift 1500 youth from the area abroad during a recent meeting with Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.
The duo agreed on the modalities and sustainability of the plan.
“Our technical teams will be meeting from early next week to expedite the process,” confirmed Mutua.
President Ruto’s government has appeared keen to nurture innovation to accelerate economic growth in the country.
Mombasa is the second largest city in Mombasa.
It is known for its blue Indian Ocean waters and bright sandy beaches which attract tourists from all over the world, most of whom come for vacation.
The coastal city is also home to the Mombasa port, a leading entry for goods and services via the Indian Ocean and a link between Kenya and several countries in Eastern Africa including Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mombasa is however experiencing several challenges in recent times, chiefly unemployment, drug abuse among the youth and prostitution.
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