NAIROBI, KENYA – “The most betrayed lot in this country are the youth,” says John Mutua, who is unemployed despite his two college degrees.
Mutua says Kenya is doomed because of its sky-high unemployment rate, currently more than 40 percent. Mutua says he wonders why the government is not coming up with new strategies and employment programs, especially for youth.
"Gainful employment is vital for enabling each individual to develop their full potential and to live in dignity."
Herman Kamau, who owns a cybercafé and photocopying shop in Nairobi, says the problem of unemployment drove him to self-employment. “I saw no need to wait for employment after I completed my degree in Information Technology. Especially when I can invest in a business and earn a living from it,” he says.
Kamau says his search for a permanent job in the information technology sector resulted in a string of disappointments. “I was forced to accept short-term contracts in local and companies here in Nairobi, but I was receiving peanuts. I saved as much as I could and with a loan from my bank, I set up this business,” he says.
Pauline Achieng, a university student believes Kenya’s youth are a dynamic group, but because they are left with nothing to do, says they have become a drain on society. She says the impact of two-decades of increasing youth unemployment have been devastating for her peers.
“With labor market conditions continuing to worsen, long-term unemployment for youth is rising in all parts of Kenya,” says Achieng, who is about to complete her bachelor’s degree in art. “Young people who lack general education or work experience, are vulnerable to the crisis,” she says.
Statistics show that unemployment has been rising steadily in Kenya since 1963 when the country attained independence. Unemployment rates nearly tripled from 6.7 percent in 1978 to 19.9 in 2006. Today more than 40 percent of the country is unemployed.
But Kenya is not alone. Global youth unemployment has reached its highest level on record, and is expected to increase through the end of 2010, according to the International Labor Organization, ILO. The ILO released a grim report last month in conjunction with the United Nations International Youth Year.
The report, ILO Global Employment Trends for Youth 2010, revealed that of the world’s 620 million economically active youth, aged 15 to 24, nearly 81 million were unemployed at the end of 2009 -- the highest number in history. The youth unemployment rate increased from 11.9 percent in 2007 before the global financial crisis and was now more than 13 percent at the end 2009, the most recent statistics available. In Kenya, more than 2 million young people are unemployed according to official statistics, but local economists say that number is likely much higher.
Youth in Kenya face serious challenges, including high rates of unemployment and underemployment. The overall unemployment rate for youth is double the adult average. Worldwide, youth unemployment is expected to increase to more than 16 million in the next two years, and to 24 million by 2017. As the outlook for young people searching for jobs in Kenya continues to worsen, many young people say they see little benefit in furthering their education or job training. The government has responded to the youth unemployment crisis by creating several new programs, including The Youth Enterprise Fund as a part of the economic stimulus package of 2009, but critics fault the program for being too focused on entrepreneurship and less on traditional job creation.
Increased Number of College Grads Flood the Labor Market
Unemployment in Kenya has continued to skyrocket since the early 1990s. Successive governments have struggled to bring to an end a crisis that has no reprieve on the horizon.
