Youth unemployment has always been a major concern given the fact that only 11.4 million Kenyans have jobs. According to the Ministry of Labour, about 2.1 million work in the formal sector while the remaining 9.3 million are self employed.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) further states that the youth represent 70% of unemployed Kenyans. On the other hand, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) claims that the youth actually constitute 75% of the jobless population. Based on demographics from the NCCK 3 million out of 11 million Kenyan youths looking for work in the formal sector are unemployed.
Qualified Individuals
USAID reports that over 500,000 Kenyans leave school every year, only to face the harsh reality that there are no jobs. The organisation notes that these graduates have a relatively high level of basic education, with a literacy rate at over 90 percent.
Due to Kenya’s highly competitive educational system, most scholars have high expectations which encourage then to disregard manual and agricultural work in favour of unavailable white collar jobs.
A study by USAID states that, over the last six years, the Kenyan economy has generated only 150,000 jobs, leaving hundreds of thousands without formal employment. Many them are forced to join the informal sector while 60% of Kenyans live on less than USD 2 (KES 173) a day.
To make matters worse, Kenya has a Human Development Index of 143 out of 187 other countries.
Shouldering the Tax Burden
Out of a total of 43 million Kenyans, only 11.4 million (27%) constitute the total work-force and are therefore forced to shoulder the bulk of the country’s tax burden. Meanwhile, self-employed Kenyans are constantly at risk of failing and must therefore put in extra effort in order to survive financially. They may not be taxed as harshly as their white collar counterparts but their salary tends to be inconsistent.
Whereas Civil Servants hold (somewhat) permanent and pensionable positions, other white collar employees have to tread carefully as their contracts can expire or otherwise be terminated.
Pending Solutions
According to a public opinion poll by Gallup Consultants carried out late last year, Jobs and Corruption are among the top things that should be addressed during this election period
During the same period, youth representatives threatened to get a petition with1 million signatures if the President failed to declare unemployment a national disaster. The terms of the ultimatum included a 7% unemployment window which would be used to mark the phenomenon as a national disaster.
If the President failed to make said declaration, the signatures would be used to call for an amendment that would force the government to declare unemployment a national disaster if it hits 7%.
While protests barely lead to major changes in policies and legislation, there may still be some hope left. “The youth should focus more on agriculture and information and communication technologies (ICTs) that have potential for growth in the country,” says Kenyan Economist Githaiga Kibuka.
Despite the theoretical implications of shifting career goals, some people may not have the skills needed to thrive in today’s economy.
In light of this, Head of Research and Advocacy of the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), Linet Oyugi notes that the country needs a national census to inform policy makers and employers how many engineers, lawyers and doctors are required at any given episode. Even with the right policies in place, some people may still be left behind.
Maybe, with a little support from international lenders and the local government, unemployment can actually become a thing of the past.