Turkana leaders call for oil, gas skills development among youth

PETER GITONGA-KNA

Turkana Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus is pushing for urgent skills development initiatives to prepare local youth for jobs expected from the revival of oil and gas exploration in the South Lokichar Basin.

Speaking while hosting a delegation from Swisscontact, Dr. Erus said the county must begin addressing the workforce requirements of the sector to ensure that local communities benefit from the emerging oil economy.

According to the Deputy Governor, the recent entry of Gulf Oil and the subsequent approval of the Oil Field Development Plan (FDP) indicate the full resumption of oil exploration, which had initially stalled following the exit of Tullow Oil Company. 

He noted that discussions around the sector have largely focused on community engagement and development frameworks, with little attention given to the skills needed to enable local youth to participate in the industry.

DG Erus welcomed plans by Swisscontact to bridge the emerging gap.

“We must now begin preparing our young people to take advantage of opportunities that will arise from the oil and gas sector. Addressing the skills mismatch is critical if Turkana youth are to participate meaningfully in the emerging industry,” said Dr. Erus.

He urged Swisscontact, an organization with extensive experience in human capital development aligned with market needs, to consider working closely with the county’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to support upskilling initiatives using existing training facilities.

He encouraged the organization to formalize its collaboration with the county government.