THE SILENT STRUGGLES OF KENYA'S JOBLESS GENERATION

Every day, young people across Kenya are on the move.

Some rise with the sun to push trolleys  through the streets  hawking boiled eggs, smokies, or mandazi while others  ride  through the  traffic in big  towns  or small market centers hoping to make enough to fuel both their motorcycles and their dreams. A larger population wander with job application letters in brown envelopes, knocking on office doors that rarely open.

This is the face of youth survival in Kenya. No formal employment, no career paths, but hustles meant to make them earn a living. For most of them, these are not choices. They are what’s left when there are no jobs to take. They are desperate approaches used to face life. 

A Youth engaging in income generating activity 

The Data Behind the Hustle

A recent youth survey conducted in June 2025 gives weight to this reality. The survey included 101 young Kenyans aged between 18 and 30 who revealed  the toughness they encounter in the job market.

The majority of respondents which is 92.8% fall between the ages of 22 and 30, this is the prime age for productivity for any nation on earth where individuals are full of energy and ideas, but in Kenya they are idle, not because they want to be but because the system has failed them.

Over 78% of the respondents searching for jobs have Bachelor’s degrees, with a few holding secondary or certificate qualifications. They are educated, hopeful, and willing to work.

The most unfortunate instance is that the numbers are getting higher everyday as institutions of higher education continue to release more graduates into the already saturated job market.

Figure 1: Results of the employment status from a Google Forms survey conducted in June 2025 among 101 youth across Kenya.

In Kenya today about 82.1% of the youth are currently unemployed despite their efforts of seeking employment. Only 10.7% have secured formal jobs, and 7.1% are self-employed. This explains the course of the alarming acts of violence, robbery and other economic vices in the country.

A Long, Uncertain Wait

More than just being jobless, most of these young people have been unemployed for a long time, 53.6% have been out of work for 1–2 years, 28.6% have been jobless for over two years and only 17.9% have been unemployed for less than six months. 

Figure 2: A representation of the joblessness period among the youth in June 2025.

This delay has ripple effects to the economy. Without work, young people remain dependent on their parents or guardians, and their dreams are put on hold. It becomes harder to start a life, help their families, or even believe in the value of their education. These hopeless young people gradually found themselves sinking into depression as managing even their basic needs becomes a challenge, cases of mental health ilineses are increasing as a larger percentage of young people resolve to drugs and substance abuse, suicide and despair.

What’s Holding Them Back?

The youth pointed to several key reasons for their unemployment, Majority of them translating to 53.6 % are blaming it for a poor economy, 32.1% relating it  to lack of job opportunities,  only 14.3% feel that there is a mismatch of skills and job requirements.

Figure 3: Reasons for unemployment in Kenya according to the June 2025 survey among 101 youths.

These responses reflect deep frustration. While some continue to search daily, others have already lost hope. When asked how actively they are looking for jobs, 61% said they are very active in their pursuit for employment, 14% are occasional job-seekers while the remaining 25% have given up on their dreams of getting employed and they no longer make any attempts to apply for opportunities. It’s not hard to understand why some are giving up, most job applications go unanswered. Interview opportunities are rare and often seem reserved for those with “connections” or the ability to offer bribes. 

The Search for Work Takes Many Forms

In the survey, the youth shared the different methods they use to look for work, 53.6% go directly to offices with printed applications to seek for opportunities, this is occasionally from one office to the other done over time, 50% search for jobs online while 21.4% rely on friends and family connections . This phenomenon of continued job seeking or as they call it ‘tarmacking’ is not an easy task, it's a disheartening experience.

Figure 4: A graphical representation of Methods used by young people to seek employment.

“Tarmacking is not just tiring physically,” one respondent noted anonymously. “It breaks your spirit. It makes you question your worth.”

The stories behind these numbers are everywhere fresh graduands with big dreams countrywide journey from town to town with a backpack full of papers and great ambitions to change the situation at home, some make more than three job applications everyday hoping that lack befalls them only to end the day selling second-hand clothes in a market stall.These are dreams deferred and efforts trushed.

Shifting to Self-Employment

Faced with a lack of opportunities after effortless seeking of employment, many young people are considering or have already started working for themselves, 50% said they are willing to be self-employed but still about 39.3% still prefer formal full-time jobs as 25% are ready to take on casual work

In an effort to survive some have mastered metalwork and carpentry they are using Jua Kali skills to weld gates or make furniture. In the food sector, others are thriving by selling street food like eggs and mandazi or running small tea and coffee stands on busy corners. Personal grooming services are also booming in hotspots around towns and market places with youth setting up small salons or barber shops.   

Figure 5: A representation of the job market as preferred by young people in Kenya.

 Those with a means of transport have ventured into boda boda riding or food delivery services to clients. Digitally skilled youth are exploring freelance graphic design and content creation on platforms like YouTube and TikTok  to earn a living. These self-driven hustles not only put food on the table but also reflect the creativity and resilience of Kenya’s jobless generation.

But the dream of self-employment also has challenges. Only 21.4% of the respondents said they have technical or vocational skills to help them succeed in informal sectors.

Youth Voices: What Should Be Done?

When asked how the unemployment crisis could be solved, the youth offered many thoughtful suggestions. While each answer had its own style, a few major ideas stood out.Many called on the government and private companies to expand employment especially for entry-level roles, “The government should create more job opportunities and markets for the self employed people” one response said. “They should pick skills over experience.”

Several respondents highlighted the frustration of losing jobs to people with “connections” or the ability to pay bribes. “Let jobs go to those who qualify, not those who know someone,” one wrote. As another one exclaimed “Corruption should be killed to allow anyone with the qualifications get a job!”

A number of young people feel that the education system isn’t preparing them for real jobs. They want reforms that focus on technical training, entrepreneurship, and digital skills.This will probably be implemented by the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC)

“Give us capital or tools,” one respondent said. “We can start businesses and even create jobs for others, but we need help to get going.” The government should use this as a strategy to equip the young people, this can be swiftly done through provision of incentives and lowering of taxes for new business. It's also a requirement that young people are trained on how to become innovators and take charge of different industries.

Some youth believe that younger workers are being blocked by older ones who stay too long in jobs. “Set clear retirement ages,” one answer read, “so youth can enter the system.” The over reliance on experience over skills is a big challenge to the young skilled job seekers, for instance a job application requirement demanding a five year experience from a fresh graduate is almost equal to denying them the opportunity even when they have the competent skills required for the job.

Young people seeking opportunities

A tired generation.

The country speaks often of the youth as the power of its young population. But if that power is not tapped, it becomes a burden. And eventually, frustration turns into anger. The recent escalation in youth demonstrations particularly the Gen Z is a built-up of anger emerging from the frustration life is imposing on this generation. They feel betrayed, not cared for and so much expected from them. They have now lost trust in the system.They no longer trust the leadership, They have stopped believing. They are losing their sense of belonging. 

Parents who once celebrated their children’s graduation now carry the shame of seeing them idle. Siblings who looked up to them are  beginning to worry that their own education may end the same way.

The government must act. Not with empty promises or PR events, but with real policies that create work, support young businesses, reform education, and fight corruption.

If given a fair chance, the youth of this country will not just survive, they will thrive. They will build companies, solve community problems, and grow the economy from the ground up.

But for now, they wait. On the streets. At the stalls. On their phones. With brown envelopes. With hope.

They are ready to work. The only thing missing is opportunity.