The growing unemployment crisis among young people in Kenya is reaching alarming levels, University of Nairobi Chancellor Patrick Verkooijen has warned.
Speaking at a State Banquet at State House Nairobi, held in honor of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Verkooijen highlighted the struggles graduates face in securing jobs.
Kenya produces nearly one million graduates annually, yet only one in four land formal employment. “But what about the rest? Where do they go?” Verkooijen posed, referencing the 2024 youth-led demonstrations as a sign of mounting frustration. “Some took to the streets, as we witnessed last year. Others managed to reach Europe. But if that trickle turns into a flood, no wall will be high enough to stop it.”
He urged the government to tap into the potential of young people and create sustainable job opportunities by leveraging Africa’s demographic advantage. With the digital economy emerging as a game-changer, he stressed the need to explore unexploited sectors that could absorb more graduates.
Beyond unemployment, Verkooijen raised concerns about the rise of ghostwriting, where Kenyan students write high-level academic papers for Ivy League students abroad just to make ends meet.
“The unfortunate irony is that many students in Kenya are already working—not for themselves or their peers, but writing high-level academic papers for Ivy League students in the United States just to make ends meet.”
Despite these challenges, Prof. Verkooijen acknowledged the government’s initiatives to address the crisis, particularly through skill development in universities. He pointed to the Big 5 agenda, which introduces specialized short courses, certificates, and master’s programs in critical fields such as artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, sustainability, leadership, and health research.
With rising youth unemployment posing a significant threat, Verkooijen’s message was clear—Kenya must act now to create opportunities before frustration boils over.
