Kenya’s youth unemployment crisis, with a staggering 67% unemployment rate among those aged 18–34, has become a flashpoint of public discontent, exacerbating criticism of President William Ruto’s failure to deliver on his 2022 campaign promise to create 4 million jobs in his first year.
With over 1 million young people entering the job market each year, the unfulfilled pledge, coupled with economic stagnation and recent deadly protests, has intensified calls for accountability.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported 31 deaths during the Saba Saba protests, highlighting the depth of youth frustration driving unrest that cost the nation Sh18 billion daily in GDP losses.
Ruto, elected on a “Bottom-Up Economic Transformation” platform, promised to allocate Sh100 billion annually to youth empowerment, projecting 4 million jobs in his first year alone.
However, political analyst Mark Bichachi labeled this target “unsustainable,” citing technological shifts reducing labor demand.
Official data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows only 959,889 youth actively sought jobs in 2021, with 3 million neither in training nor employment, far below Ruto’s claimed 5 million unemployed youth estimate.
Ruto’s administration reports 320,000 jobs created through the Affordable Housing Programme, 400,000 via overseas labour agreements, and 130,000 in digital jobs, totaling less than 1 million well short of the promised 4 million.
The KNBS reported in 2015/16 that 11.4% of the 10.7 million youth labor force was unemployed, but recent estimates from the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) peg the rate at 67%, with over 1 million young people entering the workforce annually, many without skills.
This mismatch, compounded by an economy growing at 5–5.5% but failing to absorb new entrants, has fueled protests like Saba Saba, where police brutality and economic woes dominated grievances.
Sources revealed, “Under President Ruto’s leadership, it got worse. Significantly worse,” citing the 67% rate as a historic high.
Ruto’s response has drawn ire. At a Kilimani rally on July 9, he dismissed critics, saying, “Did unemployment begin when I became President?” and claimed 600,000 jobs created through various programs.
However, Africa Check debunked his claim of 250,000 housing jobs, estimating only 41,200, and conflicting road construction figures further erode trust.
The government’s National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) program, a Sh20 billion World Bank partnership, aims to employ 800,000 youths but faces doubt due to budget constraints and past failures.
Voters now call for reallocating the billions from advisors’ salaries to employ 800,000 youths, highlight public demand for tangible solutions.
With 83% of jobs in the informal sector, per KNBS, and only 10% of 782,000 new jobs in 2024 being formal, Kenya’s youth unemployment crisis remains a ticking time bomb as the 2027 elections loom.
