Kitui County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture and Livestock, Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele, who is also a 2027 Kitui Senate aspirant, joined the CECM for Culture, Gender, Youth, ICT, Sports and Social Services, Ms. Phoebe Mutemi, during the rollout of the Vijana2Thrive (V2T) programme in Kitui County.
The youth empowerment initiative is being implemented in partnership with the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) with support from the Mastercard Foundation. The programme is being delivered through a consortium comprising Swahili Hub and NCCK, with the aim of equipping young people with skills, opportunities and pathways to sustainable livelihoods.
Addressing participants drawn from across Kitui County, Dr. Kimwele outlined a number of youth-centred initiatives currently being implemented by the County Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to create employment and enhance economic empowerment.
He highlighted the Creating Shared Value with Young People in the Livestock Sector (CASHA) project, a five-year programme designed to empower youth and women by unlocking profitable, climate-smart opportunities in livestock and agri-food value chains, particularly in goat and poultry farming.
Dr. Kimwele also cited the deployment of 427 agripreneurs, one in every sub-location across Kitui County, under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP). He noted that the county continues to strengthen village-level agricultural extension services through farmer training and technical support delivered by agricultural officers.
Additionally, he said the De-Risking, Inclusion and Value Enhancement of Pastoral Economies (DRIVE) Project is creating opportunities for young people by engaging them as enumerators during the ongoing livestock insurance data update exercise.
Dr. Kimwele emphasized that the County Government is intentionally repositioning agriculture as a modern, innovative and profitable sector capable of attracting young people. He said the government is identifying high-potential agricultural value chains that match the interests of the youth while promoting mechanization and the adoption of artificial intelligence to improve productivity and generate sustainable employment opportunities.
The event was held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
