LETTERS: Counties must address youth unemployment

The main agenda at the forthcoming annual Devolution Conference should be to find ways of addressing high youth unemployment in the country.

Youth unemployment in Kenya is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Today, unemployment in the country stands at 40 percent, and 70 percent of those who are unemployed are under 35 years.

The World Bank estimates that approximately 800,000 Kenyans join the labour market each year, and only 50,000 succeed in getting professional jobs. Not surprisingly, the high level of unemployment has been blamed for rising crime and insecurity in the country.

Make no mistake, the success of the Devolution Conference – an annual event that draws delegates from Kenya’s 47 counties, the national government, legislators, civil society, development partners and the private sector -will be measured by whether the interventions proposed make a difference in the lives of Kenyans especially the youth in the years to come.

There have been impressive reports of constant economic growth, but increasing unemployment especially among the youth. The jobless growth demonstrates that it is only a few people that economic benefits – majority are excluded and inequality is increasing all over the country.

Devolution gave youth hope that it would bring services closer to citizens, increase job opportunities and improve governance. Far from it, if the reports on the impact of devolution are anything to go by.

The 2019 Census data shows that the devolved system of governance, which was introduced in 2013, still needs to do more to ease youth unemployment in the country.

County governments should put in place robust interventions to address youth unemployment, which is at critically high level – devolved units should make job creation a key priority of their development plans and programme – come up with incisive solutions to reach and support large numbers of young people in different categories, levels and areas.

There is need for the devolved units to identify and prioritise youth affairs as a main agenda not to be tackled in other broad areas such as social services, sports, and gender as has been the case.

In addition, counties should increase the funds allocated to youth affairs in general to reflect the prevalence of joblessness among youth in the counties. At least 10 percent of the county budget should go towards support for youth employment initiative.

Equally important, counties should develop innovative ways of supporting youth entrepreneurship and self-employment. If policymakers can harness the entrepreneurial ideas of young people in the country, they will be doing a service not just for the youth population, but for Kenya at large.

With the reviewed National Youth Policy approved, counties must put in place the necessary structures and finances for its adoption and development of county youth policies.

More so, instead of the haphazard approach that we have seen since devolution came into place, county governments must create innovative measures to urgently tackle youth joblessness.

Also, it is important to bring the private sector on board to create the much-needed jobs. Youth unemployment requires joint interventions by the government and the private sector.

Competent youth should be appointed to leadership and decision- making positions in the counties. This would send a clarion call to the youth, that they have a stake in the county, and they must be involved in building the devolved unit.

Counties should put in place a peer review mechanism that will help counties to tackle governance and development problems including youth unemployment. This will help counties to learn from each other and address common challenges.

For example, the recent census shows that Nyeri and Embu top list of counties with lowest unemployment rates, with only 13 percent of youth lacking jobs. Garissa and Turkana that have the highest youth unemployment rates at 62 percent and 56 percent respectively can learn from counties with low rates of joblessness.

Ultimately, counties should realise that young people need hope, prospects and opportunities. Leaders need to speed up job creation to sustain progress and stave deterioration.

Raphael Obonyo via email.