YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN KENYA

Background
• The Kenya Youth Development Policy (KYDP) (2019) defines the Youth as a person aged 18
years and who has not reached the age of 35 years (Kenya Constitution 2010). The Policy
uses the term ‘youth’ to refer to both age and youth - hood.
• In Kenya, Youths represent 35 per cent of the total population in 2015/16 and represented
55 per cent of the labour force.
• With respect to age, a youth will be defined as a person, male or female, in the age bracket
of 18 to 34 years; while youth–hood will be looked at as the specific stage between
childhood and adulthood when people have to negotiate a complex interplay of both
personal and socio-economic and cultural changes to manoeuvre the transition from
dependence to independence, take effective control of their lives and assume social
commitments.
• The Policy recognizes youth-hood as a period of transition and vulnerability when the youth
have to undergo learning, transition to work, staying healthy and safe, forming families,
exercising citizenship and adherence to national values and principles of governance.
Success in this period of transition requires development of human capital of the youth,
empowering the youth to productively contribute to sustainable development both
nationally and internationally; take up leadership roles, make informed and competent
choices, and develop a sense of wellbeing.

Development Trend and Youths In Kenya

• While the Kenya’s youth cohort is expected to grow, unemployment among young people
is higher than the overall national unemployment rate. This is a primarily problem of
labour demand because the Kenyan economy is not creating enough jobs to cater for the
increasing number of young labour market entrants.
• Agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy and is therefore critical in creating
employment and uplifting the living standards of the Kenyan people. The employment and
entrepreneurial opportunities for youth remain un-noted, poorly remunerated and of low
quality particularly in the agricultural sector.

Youth Challenges in Kenya

Challenges that face the youth such as:

• Unemployment and lack of employability skills

• Poor health
• Sufficient socio-economic support
• Drug use and substance abuse and radicalization.

Strengths and Opportunities that the youth in Kenya present.

• Numbers - which presents the highest workforce dividend that needs to be harnessed
and optimized
 • Highly educated
• Readiness to learn and be taught
• Easily embrace ICT and optimize its use
• Energetic and available
• Demonstrate high affinity for networking, creativity, teamwork, patriotism and
cohesion.

Government Priority areas for the Youth Empowerment and development among others:

• Leadership, Participation and Representation

• Skills Development and Employment, and Entrepreneurship Development
• ICT Development
• Agriculture
• Environment and Sustainable Development

Green Innovation Centres for Agriculture and Food Sector – Kenya Country
Package
1. Highlights of Activities
• The interventions are geared towards matching with and in the Labor Market
• Objective: to provide information, guidance and linkages to markets and work
opportunities
• Efforts to increase attractiveness of rural areas and agriculture
✓ Youth conference in 2018
✓ ICT related activities - Youth radio programs/ social media
✓ Youth agribusiness forum
✓ Involving youth in ongoing (no specific youth) activities e.g. market forum
• Promotion of employability of youths through (technical and vocational) education
and training. Key activities include
✓ Cooperation with Universities, Bukura Agricultural College: Post-graduate & Master
program, Trainee Program etc.
✓ Development of ATVET curricula SP
✓ Involving youth in other ongoing VC trainings (no specific youth focus).

Specific Youth related activities in the dairy value chain

• Training in good agricultural practices in the dairy value chain – youths now engaged in
production activities

• Cottage industry for value addition yoghurt

making, mala, cheese etc.
• Fodder seed and seedlings business
• Fodder production (high value) – hay, silage
• Feed harvesting/ fodder conservation business
• Feed manufacturing/ mixing/ preparation - TMR
 • Milk transport business
• Operation of an inputs shop
• Sale of milk and milk products
• Dairy management systems (ICT) – partnering
with Safaricom
• Artificial insemination and animal health service
delivery.
• Advisory/extension services

Specific Youth related activities in the Sweetpotato value chain

• Training in good agricultural practices in the sweetpotato value chain – youths now
engaged in production activities
• Trade & brokerage – buying and selling roots and seed
• Cottage processing – value addition of sweetpotato
• Farm input supply – multiplication and sale of seed to farmers
• Primary & secondary vine multiplication
• Root production
• Advisory services to
upcoming root producers
• Transport - using motorcycles
(roots and vines)
• Aggregation

Positive Experience: The Case of Youth Agribusiness Conference

A Youth Agribusiness Conference was held in 2018 where over 800 youths participated. The
conference aimed at assessing the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector with
the goal of increasing rural youth participation in the sector and ultimately addressing the
significant untapped potential of the sizeable and growing demographic. The conference
brought together over 800 youths from the western region of Kenya, as well as sector players
from the National Government, County Governments, TVETs and Universities, Agricultural
practitioners, German International Cooperation and Financial Institutions focusing on
Agriculture.
The conference was very instrumental in:
▪ Sensitizing youth for employment potential in agriculture and promoting youth
Agripreneurship
▪ Contributing towards the advocacy of youth strategies and advocate for coherent youth
policies
▪ Show casing role models of successful young Agripreneurs and raise image of agriculture
for young people
▪ Exchanging information on successful approaches and projects in agribusiness
(ICT4Agriculture, finance, ATVET, etc.)
▪ Raising image of agriculture for young people
▪ Raising awareness of youth issues in agriculture
▪ Organizing and bringing together youth to improve their capacities
▪ Providing information on youth specific projects and programs
▪ Advocate for coherent youth policies for improved participation
Lessons
▪ Youths more interested in quick wins – seed multiplication, brokerage activities
▪ ICT adds flavour to activities hitherto not attractive to youths
▪ Information dissemination remains critical in the youth employment efforts,