Kenyan youths have been used by politicians for a long time to advance political interests, the recent demonstrations notwithstanding. The big and mind-boggling question is, What makes the youth readily available whenever those in power, as recently witnessed in Kenya and South Africa, need them? What issues bedevil young people, and is it time they took charge of their economic and political future?
Whereas the government of the day must be held to account due to economic mockeries such as the nomination of 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries, contrary to the public service commission recommendation, and wastage of public resources through unwarranted and exaggerated expenditure, youths need to rethink their economic, political, and social well-being.
Beginning with the basics
Age is not just a number; it is important to understand who a young person is to put the issues at hand into perspective concerning the ability, challenges, and opportunities that youths can tap into to turn around their current predicament.
According to Article 260 of the Kenyan Constitution, a youth is an individual who has attained the age of 18 but has not attained the age of 35 years. The African Union, in its youth charter, defines youth as an individual between 15 and 35 years old, while the UN confines the youth age to between 15 and 24 years.
Issues affecting Africa’s youth: a case for Kenya
Unemployment is the main challenge Kenyan youths face. Youths in Kenya form the highest percentage of the unemployed, at a rate of 67%, according to the Federation of Kenya Employers. In addition, over one million youths join the labour market without proper skills. On a global scale, over one billion people will enter the global market and face irregular and informal employment in the next decade.
The high cost of living and inability to afford quality healthcare, along with joblessness, stood out as the main concerns for Kenyans, according to an Infotrack poll conducted at the end of 2022. The high cost of living and lack of quality healthcare would weigh heavily on unemployed youth.
Is Kenya making progress in addressing the challenges facing youths?
A youth development policy (2019) is in place to promote holistic empowerment and participation of the youth in socio-economic and political development for themselves, the country, and the future.
The policy highlights additional challenges affecting youth, such as insufficient socio-economic support, a lack of employable skills, drug and substance abuse, and limited access to ICT, especially for those in rural areas.
The World Bank has previously offered support to Kenya through the Youth Employment and Opportunities project, with a focus on improving youth employability through capacity building and job creation initiatives. However, the impact has yet to be realised and felt on a significant scale.
Vision 2030 also highlights other interventions, including 30% youth representation in public service and appointments, establishing youth empowerment centres in every constituency, establishing 30 regional stadiums, and a one billion tree planting campaign that would engage the youth in protecting forest cover. The majority of these aspirations are just on paper, with slow implementation.
What is the way out for Kenyan youths?
- Kenyan youths can gain skills to make them competitive and gain gainful employment in tandem with the 8th goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to foster decent work and economic growth.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a tool that empowers youths with skills for sustainable livelihoods. Youths who have acquired these technical skills are employable and can also become self-employed. Youths who miss out on opportunities to advance to higher learning can pursue TVET courses such as plumbing and dressmaking, among others.
Undergraduates need to up their game and acquire technical skills before graduation. Simple skills like learning to craft a good CV and a job application letter would put them in an advantageous position. Besides, pursuing online courses on a platform like Coursera would go a long way towards bridging the skills gap before joining the workplace.
Experienced professionals can also upskill and acquire relevant skills that position them to be competitive and solve challenges in the 21st century. During the COVID-19 season, I pursued a short course on ‘Introduction to Blockchain and cryptocurrencies’ sponsored by the University of Michigan on the Coursera platform. This prepared me to understand the burgeoning cryptocurrency space and even provide my services to a crypto firm remotely.
- The world is becoming a global village, and remote work is gaining pace. The gig economy space has opened up, and youths can now put their skills to use and earn a decent living by working as freelancers and executing tasks for clients all over the world. Some clients also offer long-term contracts.
As of 2020, more than 36,000 Kenyans were working in the gig economy as freelancers on various platforms such as Fivver and Upwork. The gig economy is enabled by technology.
The gig economy buffers young people from unemployment, allows them to work flexible hours, and improves their livelihoods by providing decent job opportunities.
- Youths can also contribute to the formulation and implementation of policies that address their issues through various avenues, such as pursuing elective politics and becoming lawmakers as Members of County Assemblies, Members of Parliament, or joining the Kenyan Senate. Instead of waiting to be guided by senior leaders and politicians, they should chart their path and grow their number at the decision-making table.
- The fourth industrial revolution has unrivalled emerging opportunities. The digital revolution is here with us and cannot be ignored. Youths can tap into the opportunities presented by the 4th industrial revolution not only to eke out a living but also to be part of enhancing efficiency and the deployment of data for sound decision-making. Robotics, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and the metaverse have created many opportunities for creators and developers and enhanced the fusion of the digital, physical, and biological spheres.
When all is said and done, the government needs to provide infrastructure, such as affordable internet, to enable Kenyan youths to tap into existing and emerging opportunities. Beyond demonstrating for the government to address their needs, Kenyan youths need to take charge of their individual economic and political empowerment.
