Policy Briefs

This brief contrasts the 800,000 to 1 million young Kenyans who enter the labour market each year with the 78,600 formal jobs created in 2024. It describes the crisis as both a policy and an implementation failure, citing underinvestment, poor coordination and political interference. It calls for growth that creates jobs in sectors such as agri-processing, leather, the blue economy, construction and digital services. It also proposes a national skills-to-work system with mandatory work-based learning, protections for informal and gig workers, and programmes that reach excluded youth.

Read more: Political Economy Analysis of Youth Employment in Kenya