Nairobi — Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to invest in workforce development as a sustainable way of addressing Kenya's growing unemployment crisis.
The call comes as Kenya continues to grapple with a widening mismatch between the number of young people entering the labor market and the jobs available, placing increasing pressure on the private sector to absorb graduates and school leavers.
Atlanta Wamahia, Founder and Impact Strategy Director at Adroid Facilities Limited, said while Kenya has a well-trained workforce, many young people remain unemployed because they lack opportunities rather than skills.
"Kenyans are very learned people and many already possess the skills needed in the workplace,"
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"The biggest gap is creating opportunities that allow youth and women to grow economically."
She said SMEs are uniquely positioned to bridge that gap by embedding training into their business models, enabling employees to gain practical experience while earning a living.
According to Wamahia, businesses should move beyond simply hiring workers and instead invest in structured training, mentorship and career progression to improve productivity while creating a more resilient workforce.
Her company, which operates as a social enterprise in the facility management sector, combines commercial cleaning contracts with workforce development programmes that equip employees with technical and workplace skills before deploying them to client sites.
Workers undergo a six-week training programme covering housekeeping, workplace communication, hygiene, health and safety before joining the workforce.
The company also supports employees seeking further education or transitioning into entrepreneurship.
Wamahia noted that the model is commercially sustainable, citing growing demand for outsourced facility management services driven by Kenya's expanding real estate and corporate sectors.
She, however, warned that workforce development must go hand in hand with ethical employment practices, saying many frontline workers continue to face poor working conditions, inadequate pay and limited access to statutory benefits.
She called on employers to formalize employment, comply with labor laws and create clear career pathways, arguing that investment in human capital would not only improve livelihoods but also strengthen business competitiveness.
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The remarks reinforce the growing role of SMEs in Kenya's labor market, with economists increasingly pointing to the private sector as the country's primary engine for job creation amid limited public sector hiring.
