President William Ruto has come out strongly against accusations that his administration is to blame for the country’s high youth unemployment, saying the issue predates his tenure and is being unfairly politicized.
Speaking in Kilimani, Nairobi, on Wednesday, President Ruto challenged critics to be truthful about the historical nature of the unemployment crisis. “Do you mean to tell me that all young people had jobs before I became president? You mean to tell me that unemployment came into play when I became president?” he posed.
Ruto argued that youth unemployment has been a longstanding challenge in Kenya and insisted his government is the first to take deliberate steps toward resolving it. He said his administration has already facilitated the employment of over 600,000 youth through various initiatives including affordable housing projects, the digital economy, and overseas job placements secured through bilateral labour agreements.
“The biggest challenge facing Kenya is that many young people have finished school but have no jobs,” he said. “Right now, we have 320,000 youths working in the affordable housing programme.”
The president noted that the housing initiative is not only addressing shelter needs but also creating thousands of construction jobs across the country. He added that the growing digital economy is employing 130,000 young people, while another 400,000 are working abroad through government-facilitated arrangements.
“In the last two years, 320,000 are in affordable housing, 400,000 are in other sectors in different countries, and almost 200,000 are in digital jobs,” he outlined.
Ruto emphasised the importance of planning and peace in driving sustainable job creation, warning that political unrest and destruction of property only worsen the situation. He also criticised opposition leaders for inciting the youth, saying unemployment cannot be solved through protests or misinformation.
“I urge my critics not to deceive or incite the youth about unemployment. This issue cannot be sorted out in one day,” he said. “I am working on it now. For the first time, we have a plan to solve unemployment.”
The president concluded by stating that his record speaks for itself and that his administration remains focused on creating lasting opportunities for Kenya’s youth.
