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%Kenya's youth-led unrest reflects a simmering crisis of job scarcity triggered by systemic issues that go beyond governance.
Six out of every ten Kenyans aged 15 to 34 are unemployed. This stark reality exploded on the streets of the East African nation in June last year, when thousands of educated youths led unprecedented protests against planned tax hikes in the Finance Bill 2024, which the government later withdrew.
Beneath the veneer of the agitation against proposals to raise taxes and spiralling inflation lay a more debilitating crisis: a generation with degrees and diplomas, albeit locked out of the job market.
Caroline Njeri knows this struggle intimately. Her 28-year-old daughter holds a diploma but returned to Egerton University to pursue a degree in agricultural studies in the hope that it would enhance her employment prospects.
"The competition for jobs in Kenya is tough. There are too many people from Gen Z seeking jobs in one sector, which explains the limited vacancies," Caroline tells TRT Afrika.
At 28, desperation bites Caroline's daughter as much as many among the young people.
"We apply for jobs and are turned down. We try to start our own businesses, but the capital requirements are too high; so some of us decide just to go back to school," she says.
The numbers game
Caroline, an entrepreneur in Nakuru County, believes the protests brought to the fore an issue that has been lurking under the surface.
"Let us not mistake the young protesters we see on the streets demanding change as illiterate people. The majority of them are educated and employable," she tells TRT Afrika.
The Federation of Kenya Employers pegs overall unemployment at 12.7%, but this piece of statistic doesn't quite reflect reality. In the age group 15 to 34, which constitutes 35% of the Kenyan population, the unemployment rate is 67%, according to the data.

Employment data shows that over a million young people enter the labour market annually without any skills, some having either dropped out of school or not enrolled for a college degree.
"Many have no professional or vocational skills. This is what drives young people into crime and drugs, hopelessness and despair," Deputy President Kindiki Kithure said at a meeting this month.
Unfulfilled promises
Unemployment has plagued Kenya since long before President William Ruto came to office.
"We have four million young, educated people, and if we don't create employment for them, it will be a ticking time bomb," Ruto said during his 2022 presidential campaign. "Next year (2023), we shall invest 100 billion KSh (US $ 0.77 billion) in projects and plans that will give our young people four million jobs."
Two years later, unemployment remains the government's primary concern.
"I agree that we have a challenge of unemployment in Kenya. We have many young people who are looking for opportunities to work," the President said at the inauguration of an investment conference in June.
Ruto suggested that job creation must be "intentional, targeted, and aligned with Kenya's broader economic transformation agenda".
"We must be deliberate in identifying areas where jobs can be created, and SEZs are a critical part of that solution," he said.
Underlying causes
Some experts point to the median age of Kenya's working population as one of the factors influencing the unemployment crisis.
"Most white-collar jobs are already occupied by people who are young, which means vacancies aren't created easily," Camila Wangoi, a senior marketing manager who works mainly with young people employed on contract, tells TRT Afrika.
She describes "overwhelming" competition every time her company advertises jobs. "So many young people, including some who are over-qualified for the gigs, turn up," says Camila.

Technology offers alternative sources of income through online platforms, although that is still limited to urban and peri-urban areas. Also, as Camila points out, some companies restrict themselves to "conventional operations that cannot create more vacancies through digital innovations".
Taxing times
Kenya's tax structure is facing scrutiny for what many believe is responsible for companies struggling to be profitable and, consequently, hiring fewer people.
"Before even thinking of expanding their workforce, they need to achieve profitability. For most, revenue is too little to do that," says Patrick Babu, a communications consultant.
Finance expert Immaculate Wacera believes high taxation poses another hurdle to creating a conducive environment for business.
"Interest on loans is also high," she tells TRT Afrika. "Many businesses have been forced to close shop in Kenya because it is expensive to operate from here. And when this happens, even those who were employed become jobless."
In April this year, the registrar of companies announced that the government had dissolved 62 companies, while 133 others were put on notice for allegedly not meeting some requirements. This translates into job losses in many sectors.
Government's roadmap
The government says it has devised a plan to curb unemployment, requesting citizens to be patient with what it describes as "a gradual process".
President Ruto illustrates the point by stating that 400,000 youth have got jobs overseas, with the government holding talks with the United Arab Emirates, the US and Germany to create more such opportunities.
He has anchored his plan for job creation to his government's affordable housing project, which seeks to build homes around the country. Based on government data, 320,000 young people have already been employed.
The target is to double the housing workforce to 600,000, including 4,000 professional interns. Another 180,000 people, the President says, are earning through digital labs set up by the government.

In the education sector, the government says it has hired 76,000 teachers and intends to recruit 24,000 more by January 2026.
Citizens' wish list
"The best way for the government to curb youth unemployment is to reduce taxes gradually and also give tax holidays to big companies and small and medium enterprises. That will mean more of these firms will be able to expand their businesses, creating income for themselves and also for others," Wacera tells TRT Afrika.
She cautions that exporting labour only works for a few Kenyans, and it would be best if the skills were encouraged to stay within the country.
"If taxation is fixed, and if the government cushions citizens against the global rising cost of living, then we progress fast. Kenya is an economic leader in the region and on the continent across many sectors. It's only the enabling environment that is limiting our young, hard-working citizens," says Wacera.
As Caroline waits for her daughter to finish the remaining three years of university, her plea to the government is to eliminate the perception that "you must have connections to get a job".
She suggests that parastatals reduce the current retirement age to give young people a chance, provide counselling and incentivise self-employment so that young, enterprising people are encouraged to be creative and innovative.
For now, Kenya's educated youth continue their vigil – some in university halls pursuing additional degrees, others on the streets, and all hoping for a breakthrough in a job market that needs resuscitation.
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