Nairobi — Despite being the majority, Kenyan youth have benefitted less from the robust economic development the country has experienced in the last decade.
According to a state of the Kenya population released by the National Council for Population Development (NCPD), the state has experienced economic expansion of 5% in the last decade; however, this has not been enough to address youth unemployment and poor quality jobs in the informal sector.
According to NCPD, the economic acceleration experienced during this time largely benefited the older generation more than the younger generation.
"Economic progress has primarily benefitted the older generation more than the young generation. Gender and living location are defining factors, but youth unemployment is rampant throughout Kenya (AFIDEP, 2019)," it stated.
According to statistics, the country's population of youth has skyrocketed in the past decade. Between 2009 and 2019, the youth population in Kenya increased from 11,089,518 to 13,177,600. This number is projected to increase by over 6 million by 2035.
With about 800,000 youth entering the job market, NCPD has stressed the need for the economy to provide necessary formal and informal employment opportunities.
However, it has underscored that the government has so far laid out several measures, such as increasing training facilities and implementing a series of programs, such as Kazi Mtaani, so as to erase the unemployment menace.
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Furthermore, it has urged the government to create a conducive environment for foreign and domestic investments so that they may create new opportunities, which will increase the number of jobs for the youth.
However, according to the report, the extreme use of alcohol and other drugs such as tobacco among the youths has been a catalyst in reducing their economic productivity despite their high literacy level, especially the men.
"In Kenya, the situation is not different. Some studies have shown that youth nationwide are using and abusing drugs. The Rapid Situation Assessment of the Status of Drug and Substance Abuse in Kenya, undertaken by NACADA in 2012, found that youth have a higher prevalence of drugs than older adults," stated.
"Alcohol consumption among women is not clearly associated with education or wealth. However, among men, alcohol consumption generally increases with increasing education and wealth," it added.
