APRM • SECOND COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA 232. Child marriage prevalence was rated at 23% in 2016 and is driven by poverty and parents who see girls as economic burdens or capital. It affects the development, survival and welfare of the girl child and results in early and unwanted pregnancies that are also linked to high maternal mortality rates. 3.9.2.3 Promoting entrepreneurship for young persons 233. Young persons are the majority demography in Kenya; those aged 25 years and below are 62% of the population. As noted in the CSAR 2015, emphasis has been placed on creating enabling environment for youth self-employment and enterprise, pursuant to the Public Procurement & Asset Disposal Act, 2015, government earmarked a 30% procurement Preferences and Reservations quota for goods, services and works to be reserved for the youth and other vulnerable groups and this is being implemented at county level. 234. Youth have been saving monies collectively in SACCOs as a means of resource mobilisation. Government has also dedicated resources to youth empowerment in the form of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund allocation to facilitate low interest loans to youth. The allocations increased to Ksh 12.7 billion in 2015/2016 and the Uwezo fund for which youth are eligible increased to KShs 6.4billion. Among the achievements registered by 2012 was the creation of over 300,000 new jobs, training in entrepreneurship abilities and linking youth to products markets.24 However in some counties, the youth complained in the CRM public hearings inability to access these funds due to lack of connections and capacity to meet the complex procedural requirements for eligibility for the loans. 235. In recognition of the limitations of formal education, government has placed emphasis on up scaling the number and quality of Technical Institutes and Polytechnics. There is also a national youth service that is providing training in business and entrepreneurial skills to promote the right to employment. 3.9.2.4 Challenges 236. The challenges include: • Cultural practices that limit visibility of children and youth as victims; • Lack of awareness of recourse by child and youth victims; • Widespread poverty, with children and youth bearing the brunt, especially those suffering from disability and such diseases that attract stigmatization as HIV/AIDS; Republic of Kenya Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council: National Mid Term Report 2012 24 | 120 |