Moody Awori urges youth to embrace tech skills for self-employment
By Cy Muganda, August 11, 2025Former Vice President Moody Awori has challenged young people to embrace technology skills as a pathway to self-employment, arguing that the traditional model of education for formal employment is no longer sufficient in today’s economic landscape.
Speaking in Busia County during the commissioning of a classroom project on Monday, August 11, 2025, Awori contrasted the current educational needs with the colonial-era approach, which he says focused primarily on preparing students for employment.
“In the past, the education that the colonialists brought was prepared for those to be employed. All of us of my age and even less, we went to school so that we could be employed. It is no longer the case. The situation has changed,” he said.
Addressing unemployment
Awori emphasised the critical importance of technology in creating opportunities for young people to combat the rising youth unemployment in the country.
“The prize that we normally give is appropriate to this time—technology. We like to give a tool for technology so that students can be attuned with technology,” he explained.
He pointed out that today, the largest economies are providing fewer traditional jobs, stressing that national development now requires a significant shift that integrates both education and technology.
“If we want to develop our country, we must be thinking in terms of self-employment. To have self-employment, you need to be well-versed in technology,” he noted.
“Because of technology, the world over, employment has shrunk. Even the biggest economies are employing less and less people. More people are working for themselves,” he added.
Utilising online resources
Citing the example of Julius Yego, who achieved world champion status in javelin throwing through self-taught methods using online resources, Awori underscored that technological resources can serve as practical instruments for success.
“This is a person without teachers, without training, but having had access to a computer and using YouTube. He taught himself the throwing of javelin until he reached the world champion,” Awori remarked.