Kenyan youth most concerned in Africa over joblessness/unemployment; Report
3 min readKenyan youth most concerned in Africa over joblessness/unemployment and high levels of corruptions.
According to a survey, Kenyan youth are more concerned about the high levels of corruption and the lack of employment than their counterparts in the rest of Africa.
According to a survey by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, more than 75% of Kenyan youth are unsatisfied with the country’s attempts to create jobs, which is 11% higher than the continent’s average of 69%.
In regards to corruption, 39% of Kenyan youth agreed that the government should do more to fight it, which is 17% more than the continent’s average of 22%.
Kenya’s 2019 Census data shows that 38.9 per cent of all youths in Kenya (5.3 million) are jobless.
Worse still, it revealed that over 800,000 youths are getting into the job market every year, meaning there is a youth bulge.
World Bank data shows 5.7 per cent of Kenya’s labour force was out of work in 2021, up from 2.8 per cent in 2013.
High unemployment rates/joblessness
Kenya had the highest unemployment rate in East Africa as of 2021, surpassing Tanzania’s 2.6 percent, Uganda’s 2.9 percent, and Rwanda’s 1.6 percent.
According to a January assessment by Transparency International, Kenya scored 30 out of 100, below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 33..
According to report, Kenya is more corrupt than Tanzania (53), Rwanda, and (39).
In the region, the nation outperformed Burundi (19), South Sudan (11), which is rated as the most corrupt nation in the world, and Uganda (27).
According to the Ichikowitz survey, most Kenyan youths see starting their own business as the way out of joblessness with nine out of every 10 youths (90 per cent) saying they would want to start their own business given the opportunity.
Ivor Ichikowitz, the founder and Chairman of the Ichikowitz Foundation, says this mindset presents a great opportunity for the Ruto administration to engage the Kenyan youths.
“Our data shows that Kenya tops the list for the country with the highest levels of young people, no less than 90 per cent, who want to start their own businesses. This highlights the overwhelming opportunity presented to the country’s new leadership to engage Kenya’s young people; to listen to their wants, hopes and dreams; to spark them into action and to activate the agency of youth across the country,” he said.
“In the wake of August’s Presidential elections, our study makes clear the fact that Kenya’s next generation is today ready to play a leading role in reinvigorating the potential of the East African juggernaut’s economy.
Kenya is a world-renowned and recognized ‘Silicon Savannah’, a tech hub home to more than 200 flourishing start-ups,” he added.
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