Recent protests by youth confirm joblessness is a timebomb

Despite the long electioneering period, focus must now shift to fixing all the other issues that continue to threaten the country’s well-being.

The protests that have been witnessed since the August 8 election, which largely attract the youth, are a pointer that unemployment is and will remain a timebomb until programmes are devised to tackle it.

Currently, 70 per cent of jobless people in the country are youth. This is something that both the national and county governments must reflect on.

MISTAKES

The country’s future in creating new jobs is pegged on the devolved governments, where the huge potential existing remains largely under-utilised.

This being the second cycle of the county governments, it is assumed that the new governors will learn from the mistakes of those they have succeeded and the re-elected ones enter office more experienced.

With 80 per cent of its population being under the age of 35 years, with a median age of 19 years, Kenya is one of the young nations in the world.

Rural economies have not been very conducive for innovative young people, forcing them to move to urban areas where the job opportunities are dwindling each day.
Considering the gravity of the problem of joblessness the country is facing, especially in urban areas, the national government must devolve more funds.

This will provide an opportunity for counties to create infrastructure needed to drive rural economies and create new jobs.

It will serve a political need by reducing the temperatures of the divisive national elections seeking to control the huge resources left at the national government even though most of the functions are devolved.

ECONOMY

Kenya is racing to become a middle-income economy, and it is considered one of the economic powerhouses in Africa.

However, despite this tremendous growth story, poverty levels still remain high and affect nearly half of the population — 45.2 per cent of the country’s households are living in poverty, according to the World Bank’s reports.

Inequality in access to education, health services, and jobs has remained a nightmare to the country, even as we pride ourselves in an economic growth rate of at least five per cent.

The country has in the recent years successfully sought to boost infrastructure. However, many of these projects have not integrated the social wellbeing of the citizens, especially young people.

As the new government develops new infrastructure, it should consider incorporating more youth for the purpose of acquiring skills so that we can reduce reliance on foreigners for menial jobs.

FUND

The government has made some efforts to promote youth empowerment in different ways, though there are challenges. The Youth Enterprise Development Fund offers an example of a positive and strategic investment in the country’s young people.

But it is not clear why this programme is still being managed at the national level instead of having it devolved, where youth in these areas can benefit from it.

It has also not integrated various components depriving it of capacity to finance new projects. It should help link the businesses it finances with the biggest consumer of the goods – the government.

Also the country has put in place a 30 per cent government procurement rule for the youth. The proponents of this idea appreciate the fact that youth are economically marginalised.

CARTELS

However, it must also introduce other supportive components such as linking the beneficiaries to financing, especially from those banks that the government has interest in.

Today, most young people are not able to participate due to capital constraints, leaving the opportunities to cartels.

The public service should create a competitive process that would not lock out competent youth. While most of the sectors are moving forward to integrate young people, the public service continues to perpetuate regulations that lock out youth from employment.

There are young people in different sectors who have demonstrated admirable talent and skills. More young citizens need to be accommodated in the public service.

Mr Obonyo is the author of Conversations about the Youth in Kenya. Email: [email protected] Gitau Warigi’s column resumes next Sunday.