The new Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs officially assumed office today during a handing-over ceremony attended by Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya.
Fikirini succeeds the outgoing PS Ismail Maalim Madey, who has been transferred to the newly created State Department for Special Programmes.
Madey is credited with revitalizing the Youth Affairs and Creative Economy portfolio, elevating it from a struggling 22nd position to its current rank of 10th among over 52 departments.
Cabinet Secretary Mvurya urged Fikirini to take on his new responsibilities and strive to meet the targets set during Madey’s leadership, emphasizing the need to address pending critical issues, such as the National Youth Council elections, in a timely manner.
‘We have National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement, jointly funded by the World Bank and Government of Kenya targeting over 810,000 youth in all 47 counties’ said Mvurya at the offices located in Talanta Plaza, Upper Hill.
Madey encouraged Fikirini to leverage the expertise of technical officers and CEOs of parastatals to ensure the successful delivery of the State Department’s goals.
Fikirini expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with a team of experienced officers, which he believes will be crucial in fulfilling the mandate for youth and creatives. He also thanked Madey for streamlining youth and creative issues at both the policy and legislative levels.
