Cord leader Raila Odinga has underscored the importance of education in reducing cases of crime involving young people in the country.
Odinga called on the government to consider expanding university education to the communities, to enhance accessibility of higher education among young people who he described as the country's dependable human resource.
Speaking at Kisii University on Monday during a public lecture by a renowned global literary scholar, Prof Ngugi wa Thion'go, the former Prime minister (PM) said young people needed education empowerment for them to drive the country's socio-economic development agenda to the next level.
Odinga said lack of education among young people who constitute the country's majority tempted them to engage in criminal activities which threatened the gains achieved by the country after its independence from the colonial rule.
"The youth can be a curse or a blessing to our society depending on how they have been socialised," said Odinga.
Odinga described the literary legend Thiong'o as a hero not celebrated at home, yet he had written many books leading to the transformation of the Kenyan and African society.