By Nyang’au Araka
Some months back, a Kenyan joked that a time had come for Kenyans to have painkillers ready before watching television news.
The joke did rounds because it made a lot of sense; news bulletins are usually dominated by sad happenings.
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Probably one even wonders how the anchors manage to wear a smile as they break the stories.
That Kenyans are struggling with a myriad of challenges is not a lie.
The citizens’ patience has been put to test over time. More often, their resilience gets them out of the woods.
One of the major crises confronting Kenyans is joblessness and inability to meet their financial obligations.
The most affected are the youth, who have graduated from universities and colleges and found themselves in the arena of want.
They are afraid of crossing the youth age bracket while dependent on their parents and guardians.
It doesn’t need one to commission a task force to agree that the joblessness crisis is a disaster in waiting.
The other day, the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) revealed that over 300,000 individuals applied for a mere 46,000 slots that were advertised by the commission.
The situation is likely to get worse in the coming years since colleges and universities have not suspended training of more teachers.
Frustrations at KICC
On Saturday, light filtered through the imposing frontage of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), illuminating the faces of thousands of graduates crowded together in nervous expectation.
Each one of them had come equipped with written resumes and certificates, but the plain truth loomed: only very few would qualify for jobs miles and miles from their motherland.
It did not take long before words of doubt started to characterize their conversations as their pictures did the rounds on social media.
Some waited impatiently, their hands clinging on their document wallets, while others exchanged looks filled with hope and frustration. Several of them were turned away, their dreams shattered at the country’s capital.
They had to find their way back home, more frustrated.
Of the young men who were interviewed at KICC by the media, two mentioned issues that should really worry Kenyans and particularly those in authority.
One youth stated that he was turned away because he had a long and ugly beard.
He was told to go shave then come back.
It was not clear if he really went back. It is not clear if that was sufficient criteria for the young man to get such feedback.
However, it may be argued that being neat gives one an added advantage during an interview and therefore it was a goof on the individual.
Another youth said he had travelled from upcountry to try his luck. As a Gen Z, he was ready to take up any job opportunity, and maneuverer his way to self-dependence. “The government must address the issue of joblessness before it gets out of hand,” the young man said.
Gen Z Protests
The dust that was stirred by the Gen Z during the rejection of the Finance Bill 2023/24 has not settled.
They made it clear that their country was headed to the wrong direction due to over-taxation, corruption and invocation of false promises by the government.
The young people’s anger was manifested in their courage as they took authorities head-on, to the extent of storming Parliament, which is one of the most critical and strongly guarded installations in the country.
Probably if this message didn’t provoke the political leadership to think straight, nothing will.
Quite a lot has changed between June and now. The country is back in the pre-Gen Z protests where chest thumping and making unpopular decisions is the order of the day.
During graduation ceremonies, graduates are told to go out there and become job creators and not (job) seekers. This is laughable often times.
It is a mockery of the youth because many of those who make such utterances are already in government payroll and have never created any job for anyone, not even for themselves.
Worse yet, with poor pay and demoralized teaching staff, one should really ask if the graduates are fully baked to perform anything without further guidance after campus.
The foregoing is to blame for the thousands of people engaged in income generating activities that have nothing to do with whatever course they studied at university level.
Our open markets are not devoid of graduates selling second hand clothes or shoes, vegetables and fruits, while others have made betting a career.
Others are into drugs and battling depression.
Surely as much as one may argue that one goes to university to learn life skills, mature and be able to fit in the fast changing world, it is also a fact that one doesn’t need a degree to sell fruits at an open air market.
It would be better if one took a relatively cheaper path, say a short technical course to acquire relevant knowledge.
Time has come for the country to stop the pretense.
As more and more young people get formal education, let there be clear strategies that make their dreams and aspirations tenable and attainable.
Let Kenyans unite to fight corruption and negative ethnicity among other factors that disadvantage highly skilled but poorly connected young people from getting jobs.
Also, politicians should stop making fake promises or just vacate decision making positions if they lack solutions for the Kenyan population.
The author is the chairperson, Kisii Press Club. His e-mail address is babahezel@gmail.com
NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN PEOPLE DAILY ON OCTOBER 28TH, 2024
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