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Vehicle assembling at Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers.[File-Standard]
Back in the day, the promise attached to higher education in Kenya was straightforward, as graduates would find a formal job and build a career. But with formal employment failing to keep pace with the number of young people leaving schools and colleges, that formula is increasingly being challenged.
Kenya’s national unemployment rate hovers between 5.4 per cent and 5.5 per cent, according to estimates from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Data from the Kenya Labour Market Information System (KLMIS) highlights that youth unemployment (ages 15–34) sits at 17.7 per cent. More alarming still, nearly 36 per cent of young Kenyans have the highest unemployment rate of 67 per cent, which means that they are trapped in low-paying, insecure, or part-time positions that do not match their skills.
