By Lillian Onyango, DevReporter, Nairobi County
The government should create spaces and platforms that provide employment fairly without necessarily having to know someone to get employed.
“This stereotype of ‘you can only get employed if you know someone who knows someone’, is a great hindrance to job seekers. If this notion can be broken, young people can develop the confidence of getting jobs,” said Terry Akinyi, a mother of one.
According to Terry, the government should create new ideas and invest in manufacturing sectors like the textile industry to create employment.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reveals that 75% of Kenyans are youth and most of them are unemployed. The data further indicates that those that have attained economic age of 18-34 years constituted 13 Million.
The youth, however, account for the highest number of voters and presidential aspirants promised to include them by scaling up the economic pyramid.
“The only thing that can solve unemployment is when youth are elected to decision-making positions. It is only the youth who can understand what their compatriots are going through,” added Bonny, a youth in Ngara.
According to Bonny, unemployment cannot be solved by politicians who give empty promises and forgets about them when they get in power.
“When you visit government offices, you will meet older people of 60 and above years still employed yet graduates are looking for those positions,” Agness Nasimiyu, a resident of Kibra said.
The government should therefore make sure that the older people retire and give room for new graduates.
It is a good thing the government has created opportunities like Kaazi Mtaani and the National Youth Service (NYS) but a lot more effort is needed to solve this joblessness situation.
