16/06/2026
258 YOUTH IN KISUMU GRADUATE AS KISIP2 AND NYOTA INVEST IN SKILLS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND A BETTER FUTURE FOR INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS
A new chapter of hope, empowerment, and opportunity was written today as 258 young people from Kisumu's informal settlements graduated during a colorful certificate award ceremony organized under the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP2) in partnership with Nyota.
The graduates, comprising 114 young women and 144 young men, from Bandani, Migosi, Nyawita, Kibuye, Manyataa A and B, and Muhoroni, successfully completed intensive training designed to equip them with life skills, employability competencies, entrepreneurship knowledge, and financial literacy to enable them become productive members of society and drivers of change within their communities.
The training targeted youth from informal settlements where KISIP2 is currently being implemented, while the Digital Public Works component focused on beneficiaries from settlements that participated in KISIP Phase I.
Throughout the training, participants were equipped with critical social and economic skills under key thematic areas including:
✅ Self-Awareness
✅ Self-Management
✅ Relationship Skills
✅ Responsible Decision-Making
✅ Communication Skills
✅ Entrepreneurship
✅ Financial Management
✅ Health and Social Emotional Learning
✅ Business Start-Up and Business Operations
The initiative reflects KISIP2's broader vision of improving living conditions in informal settlements through a dual approach of investing in both physical infrastructure and human capital development.
Speaking during the ceremony, the trainees were encouraged to form and strengthen self-help groups to enhance networking, access opportunities, and build sustainable community enterprises capable of transforming their lives and neighborhoods.
In a message delivered on his behalf, National KISIP Coordinator Mr. George Arwa congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the programme and assured them that more opportunities, trainings, and empowerment initiatives are in the pipeline to benefit youth living in informal settlements across the country.
The trainees also received encouraging news regarding further education opportunities. The Kisumu County Government, through the Office of the Deputy Governor, reaffirmed an earlier commitment to support interested graduates through fee waiver opportunities for enrollment in County Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), enabling them to advance their education and acquire additional technical skills.
Representing the County Project Coordination Team, KISIP Kisumu County Coordinator Mr. Patrick Ogunde through a representative, congratulated the graduates for their dedication and resilience throughout the training period. He challenged them to effectively utilize the knowledge and skills acquired to improve their livelihoods, create employment opportunities, and positively influence their communities.
Mr. Ogunde further assured the graduates that they would receive priority consideration whenever relevant opportunities for engagement, employment, or programme absorption arise in future KISIP-related interventions.
The ceremony also celebrated the success of the Digital Public Works Programme implemented in Obunga and Kaloleni settlements, where 200 participating youth gained hands-on experience in data collection, digital mapping, geospatial technologies, and digital multitasking while benefiting from short-term employment opportunities. These practical skills are expected to significantly enhance their competitiveness in the evolving digital economy.
Special recognition was accorded to the trainers whose dedication, professionalism, and mentorship contributed immensely to the success of the programme. In appreciation of their outstanding service, the trainers were awarded letters of recommendation in recognition of their commitment to empowering youth and building community capacity.
As the graduates received their certificates amidst celebration and applause from family members, trainers, project officials, and stakeholders, the event served as a powerful reminder that sustainable urban development goes beyond roads, drainage systems, markets, and street lighting, it also requires investing in people.
Through the continued partnership between KISIP2, Nyota, the National Government, and the County Government of Kisumu, hundreds of young people are now better equipped with the confidence, knowledge, and skills needed to build brighter futures for themselves and contribute meaningfully to the transformation of their communities.
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