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Kenya’s demographic landscape, with over 75% under the age of 35 and 30% between 18-34 (KNBS, 2019), presents both an opportunity and a pressing challenge. In addition, over one million enter the market annually. In the recent past, youth have become the central focus of national policy discussions. However, despite the frequent rhetoric around “youth employment” and “economic growth” many interventions still fall short of delivering dignified and fulfilling  employment for young people.  

When I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I was optimistic. I believed that my commitment to my studies and my leadership roles had fully prepared me for the job market. Nothing, however, prepared me for the “tarmacking” that followed—an exhausting journey of applying for opportunities that never materialised. After a year of being unemployed, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree, convinced that this advanced qualification was the missing piece. Yet, upon returning, I found myself in the exact same place, still unsure of how to start my career. 

I then spent years building valuable skills, but without a clear path, I could not pursue the career I had dreamed of and studied for. This experience painted the reality that clear and accessible pathways to work, are a fundamental necessity for youth entering the job market. A lack thereof, can render years of education fruitless.  

There is a significant disconnect between official policies on paper and the actual, on-the-ground realities young people face. It is this very experience that continues to fuel my understanding and commitment to the youth development agenda. 

The Kenyan government has, over the years, formulated and implemented a series of ambitious policies and strategies aimed at fostering youth employment and economic empowerment. For example, the Kenya Youth Development Policy (2019) is an expression of the collective commitment of all concerned stakeholders to both maximise the strengths and opportunities presented by youth and simultaneously address the personal and structural barriers that impede their productivity. On the other hand, the National Skills Development Policy (2023) acknowledges that Kenya’s education and training systems have failed to keep pace with the needs of the labour market.  

The document highlights several fundamental systemic flaws: fragmented governance, poor coordination between various training bodies, restricted access to labour market information, and inadequate school-to-work transition processes. As a result, many young people graduate with credentials that do not equip them for either employment or entrepreneurship.  

The Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2013 on Employment Policy and Strategy for Kenya was specifically created to address a critical national issue: the high rates of unemployment and underemployment, particularly affecting youth, women, and other vulnerable populations. The policy acknowledges fundamental flaws in Kenya’s labour market, including low productivity, a growing segment of the working poor, and structural rigidities that hinder job creation. The policies cited above serve to illustrate a glimpse of the depth of Kenya’s policy framework and high-level commitment to mitigating the youth unemployment crisis.  

However, moving beyond their conceptual design to critically assess their real-world impact—identifying successes, persistent challenges, and gaps—is crucial. It is paramount to examine the journey from strategic intent to tangible outcomes to draw valuable insights for future policy refinement and more effective intervention.  

It is in response to this critical situation that the Youth Futures Policy Research Project, a collaboration between the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and the CAP-Youth Empowerment Institute (CAP-YEI), was launched. The project aims to uncover actionable, context-sensitive solutions to the longstanding challenges of youth unemployment in Kenya and across other specific countries in Africa, with the goal of driving essential policy and institutional reform. 

An initial review by this research project on Kenya’s youth employment policies and initiatives highlights a critical challenge: a significant disconnect often exists between policies written in official documents and their actual implementation. A great policy on paper can be undermined by institutional weaknesses, coordination bottlenecks and inadequate monitoring and evaluation systems. Furthermore, it often fails to address the real-world barriers that young people face, such as a lack of alignment between education and market needs, limited access to capital and networks, and broader socioeconomic challenges like  gender disparities, educational inequities, and regional imbalances further constraining the ability to harness Kenya’s human capital for inclusive growth (KIPPRA, 2024).  

Focusing on eight African countries; Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda, the project  aims to provide evidence that transforms youth employment in Africa by addressing gaps in policies and regulatory frameworks to enable dignified and fulfilling work for young people by asking these critical questions:  

• How can current policies and regulatory frameworks be activated and enhanced to enable dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for youth in Africa?  

• What industrial and trade policies will enable Africa to leverage its demographic transition, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the evolving digital economy to create adequate opportunities for dignified and fulfilling work for African youth?  

The understanding of the consequences of youth unemployment fuels the drive to support the success of this research. It presents a unique and crucial opportunity to go beyond analysis, collaborating with stakeholders and peers to co-create evidence-informed solutions.  

By leveraging firsthand experience, the project is dedicated to ensuring that final recommendations enable systemic change, ultimately leading to dignified and fulfilling work for youth and unlocking their full potential across the continent. 

Salome Ndanu Mbithi is a Research Assistant at AFIDEP, supporting the Youth Futures Policy Research Project