Youth unemployment remains Kenya’s biggest crisis, says youth coordinator
Speaking during an interview at Radio Generation on Thursday, Ouko said that while youth protests last year were often politicized, the underlying cause remains the lack of job opportunities and timely support for students.
Youth unemployment continues to be the most pressing issue facing Kenya’s young population, according to Mark Ouko, Youth Coordinator at the National Students Council of Kenya.
Speaking during an interview at Radio Generation on Thursday, Ouko said that while youth protests last year were often politicized, the underlying cause remains the lack of job opportunities and timely support for students.
“Even if you look at the things that the young people went to the streets last year… at the start, the young people are saying that they don’t have jobs. For those who are in universities, they’re saying that our help is not coming in time,” Ouko said.
He further highlighted the widening gap between public perception and the realities faced by young people.
“One of the things that aggravates us so much is the public perception of people in government, particularly the political class. When you see somebody is putting on a watch of Sh900,000 and you cannot even afford to take two meals in a day, it’s something that will obviously affect you,” Ouko explained.
The Youth Coordinator stressed that unemployment limits young people’s ability to engage in meaningful societal contributions.
“Most young people do not have the privilege to think the way you and probably city, and perhaps most of us can think… You cannot start telling them to think about policies and all these when they cannot even afford to eat themselves,” he stated.
When asked about the government’s role in providing jobs, Ouko described the concept of structural dependency, where political systems have created a situation where many youths rely on the government for survival.
“There is need to create systems… looking outside to the methodologies that can be used outside government, such as how do we enhance our entrepreneurial culture. There’s an upcoming digitally incubated economy where so many people are adding through the online space,” he said.
While acknowledging that the government alone cannot employ every young person, Ouko emphasized that creating a conducive environment for employment is a core responsibility.
“Globally, the highest employer of people is the government. So, where the rubber hits the road, ultimately, is that government would solely be the ones to take this responsibility of making sure that most young people are employed,” he concluded.
