By Felix Kimuyu, a Communication and Media Studies Student at Zetech University
For a very long time, we have been told that education is the key for excellence and success. But is it? Everyday, learners across the country rise up early and go to school. This is meant to shape the learner’s character, and transform him or her into a responsible adult who can contribute positively to the society, there are some facts that we are yet to uncover that will leave you thinking otherwise.
Each year learners enroll into many institutions of learning across the country, from early childhood, way through primary schools, high schools and higher institutions of learning. They endure the chilly morning, the heat of the day, in classrooms, they go through rigorous tests, assignments, and exams. Each year, tens of thousands of young Kenyans graduate, full of hope, passion and potential. They’ve earned their degrees. But one question hangs heavily in the air. “What next?” For many the answer is silence.
Youth unemployment in Kenya remains one of the nation’s greatest challenges. Opportunities are few. The job market, saturated. Qualifications often go unnoticed in the face of experience they’ve never been allowed to earn. The dream of a better life becomes a daily hustle. A silent struggle behind every hopeful smile.
The unemployment rate in Kenya currently stands at 5.43% according to the Kenya Bureau of statistics report in 2024. This means that out of every 100 people, about 6 of them are unemployed. But here’s the catch. These statistics only count those who are actively looking for work. It doesn’t include discouraged job seekers and those in underemployment.
This simply means that the numbers could be bigger than you think. Unemployment in Kenya has been a menace, threatening the country’s GDP, and increased insecurity in some parts of the country. Following this, the Kenyan government has partnered with foreign nations in a bilateral agreement to secure jobs for Kenyans. But is this enough?
Critiques may say that this is just another empty promise that the government offers its people. During the protests in June 25th angry youth matched out on the streets demanding that the government addresses the issue of unemployment, poor governance, empty promises by the government. But where jobs are scarce, innovation thrives. Out of necessity, a new spirit is rising. The spirit of entrepreneurship. From the streets of Nairobi to the villages of Turkana, young people are refusing to wait for jobs. They are creating them. Crafting businesses with grit and grace. Redefining success with every product sold, every idea pitched, every risk taken.
Meet Sam, a local street vendor who tells us about his business and how he started it. Whether it’s building apps that solve local problems, turning agricultural waste into fuel, or launching fashion lines from secondhand markets, Kenya’s youth are rewriting the rules.
Entrepreneurship is no longer just a choice. It’s a movement. A revolution fueled by ambition, access to technology, and the determination to thrive. Kenya’s future depends not only on educated minds, but on empowered doers. Bridging education and opportunity will take more than ambition, it will take reform, investment, and inclusion. The blackboard was only the beginning. The real lessons begin after the last bell rings. And for a generation of Kenyans, the story isn’t about waiting for change, it’s about becoming it.