Free education plan to tackle skills shortage

The Kenyan government said on Monday it has plans to offer free education to children up to the age of 18, Kenyan Radio reported. The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) quoted Minister for Planning Adhu Awiti as saying that the government would be launching an attempt to eradicate illiteracy in Kenya, in order to enable the country to make better use of its human resources. Kenya suffered from a dearth of skilled workers due to high school drop-out rates, deaths and illness associated with HIV/AIDS, and an exodus of trained doctors and engineers seeking higher salaries abroad, he said. The Kenyan economy was currently suffering negative growth [ie, it was shrinking], and the government has set aside Ksh 20 billion (US $260 million) to combat poverty, KBC quoted Awiti as saying.