President Uhuru Kenyatta Friday said that the President’s Award will be strengthened to expand opportunities for the youth to take part in mentorship and character building program.

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Uhuru said that the national government will also undertake a drive to popularise the Award scheme, so that it is adopted by neighbouring countries to boost regional integration.

He made the announcement when he joined participants of Seeing is Believing Initiative of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and the President’s Award – Kenya at the Old Moses Camp on Mount Kenya.

President Kenyatta spent the better part of the day at the Old Moses Camp, which is at an altitude of 3300 metres, to interact with and give inspiration to 128 students from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana who participated in the program.

“We will make this program a more regional scheme as we move it to become a continental initiative,” he said. 

“We do not interact enough to see the similarities that we share. This is one of the best ways to encourage integration,” he added.

The students drawn from different institutions ranging from primary schools to universities have already reached the highest point of Mount Kenya — the Batian Peak — as part of their team building exercises.

President Kenyatta presented medals to the Gold Awardees and encouraged the participants to believe in their ability to achieve.

“There is nobody who is born special, big or small and there are no super human beings. Each one of us has strengths and weaknesses. You should believe in your strengths and learn to share and work as a team,” he said.

The President, who engaged in a question and answer session with the participants, told them that the secret to success is discipline.

“The key to success is discipline and show respect to everyone irrespective of their background,” he said, when he answered one of the students who asked him what his secret to success was.

President Kenyatta told the youth that they should learn from every experience they go through in life instead of developing a habit of regrets.