UNEMPLOYMENT IN KENYA: THE BLAME CONTINUES

The two stories: one, the stampede that took place at Kenya Ports Authority’s Bandari College, Mombasa earlier on this month where over 3000 people turned up for 28 job vacancies and another one in the Judiciary where 80,000 people applied for 1000 vacancies brought to fore the latent unemployment crisis in the country, a disaster in waiting.  While unemployment is not a new phenomenon in Kenya and beyond, many have been quick to blame today’s graduates for being unemployed.

Numerous excuses have been brought up whilst no one is really keen in mitigating the already dire situation. Largely unfounded narratives being peddled around by ‘analysts’ that blame fresh graduates for unemployment include lack of entrepreneurial spirit and lack of requisite job market skills,  the most perpetuated fallacy.

The fact that Kenya is hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit is an indication that we are doing well on this realm in terms of viable business ideas but reasons for failure of the said businesses is what should concern us most. So the argument that graduate lack entrepreneurial spirit is somewhat misinformed.  Also, the employers have gone ahead to blame university curriculum for producing ‘unemployable’ graduates. One will wonder what makes them different yet they too attended the same universities that they are bashing left right and center.  

Going forward, the gospel of start your own business has never been this aggressive. The irony is the fact that those telling the fresh graduates to start their own business are comfortably sitting behind their mahogany desks, employed and drawing huge perks but they can’t create opportunities for the rest.

I believe the blame game regarding unemployment should shift to those who are employed and have worked for a very long time accumulating vast wealth but have decided not to create their own businesses that could employ them and dozens of fresh graduates. For them, the only investment they know is buying & selling of land plots and trading in stock shares but they don’t create opportunities for young lads yet they are the first people to criticize them.

While establishment of businesses is a viable solution and that we should explore it by all means, it’s imperative to point out that business success is not a guarantee and also recognize the fact that not all can be business people as some have to work for others, that’s nature. As we create opportunities, we should focus on building capacities of the fresh graduates by providing them with entry level jobs so that they can acquire experience, establish business linkages and at the appropriate time, moment move on to start their businesses. Before they clinch those professional consultancy tenders, they need to prove that they have the required capacity; that is knowledge and experience. I believe we can create job opportunities. Excuses that fresh graduates lack entrepreneurial spirit and employability skills are just that; lame excuses. We can indeed create enough jobs but those who possess the wealth have simply decided to be selfish. I think that’s about it. 

FEEDING THE THIEVES

So I’m sitting here filing the tax returns thingy. I’m on this last section conveniently labelled ‘Tax Compilation’. My eyes are stuck on this box that has amount of tax payable. I can’t help but think that part of this tax collected over the last year was stolen by some rogue government operatives and their associates.  My mind shifts to the NYS Saga. Some faceless lady was about to swindle slightly over Ksh. 600M. I believe that we have already lost more money than those in charge are willing to admit. In hindsight, this IFMIS thingy should be thoroughly audited and overhauled.  Anyway, I feel like crying as accruing this income was no walk in the park. As a matter of fact, the right side of both my shoe sole are longer there. The hustle has milled them to thin plastic chips.

While wandering in my thoughts, I also think of what I could have done with money which has now been stolen whilst it could have been used for the good of the people.  I could have settled part of my student loan commonly referred to as HELB loan. Now this HELB is like a mortgage you can pay till you die! Jeez! You pay Ksh.5 and reduces by Ksh.2. And such is life. By the way, debt is not good for your financial health. Don’t be hoodwinked by those sassy sales ladies from commercial banks.

But I ramble. Moving on.

I also could have kwachuad   ka ¼ acre in some remote area in the armpit of Kajiado County.  I mean could have done so many things with this tax bill. Somebody stole it plus those of others for his/her own good. It’s okay. I’m one of those who believe that karma is a bitch; law of natural justice.  I’m no longer sure whether I will reveal all my income streams in future as they come as I am skeptical if they will be used properly as they should.

I strongly believe that our indifference as Kenyans has contributed to the high theft cases of the public coffers. The thieves know too well that we will just sit back and watch as they rob us in broad day light. We can’t leave this task of fighting graft to Boniface Mwangi, Okia Omutata, Transparency International, Mars Group Kenya and other players in the civil society.

Everyone must join the fight. It doesn’t matter which political divide we belong to because at the end of the day it’s both our monies that are being illegally siphoned. Join the hashtags, the demos when called upon. You can’t afford to play safe when it comes to corruption. Our voices must be heard. 

OF KIBERA AND DECENT HOUSING

Development in Kibra is a complex issue than majority seem to realize. You see sometimes back, Raila launched slum upgrading project in Kibra and a number of other informal settlements in Nairobi and Kisumu. This programme that roped in partners from the government, World Bank, and UN agency for Urban Settlement among others was set to provide the residents with decent housing.

However, the development partners were in for a rude shock. After building the apartments and relocating residents, they went back to their informal houses and rented the apartments allocated to them. The development partners were baffled because in their minds they wondered why someone would opt to live in squalor instead of a decent house that has all the amenities. I remember engaging my friend Samson Onyango, a Regional & Urban Planning Expert to shed light on this peculiar phenomenon as it didn’t make any sense, at all!

Upon inquiry by the development partners, the residents gave a number of reasons for opting for their old homes. One of the prominent reasons was that living in apartments denied them the opportunity to engage in economic activities that they used to partake while living in the slums. For example, they could no longer sell their groceries, fish or charcoal among other small businesses in front of their houses. Without this income from their ndogondogo businesses, they could not live in the apartments as they had no other jobs. Some found the apartments to be too nice and did not match up to their stature. They felt as if they were living a lie and preferred to go back and live an ‘authentic’ life.

Studies have shown that living in slum conditions for a long time makes one to effectively adapt to slums lifestyle and they wouldn’t want to change that. I believe it’s for this reason that little progress in terms of decent housing has been realized in Kibra and other slums. The development partners had to pose and think of another strategy.

I think what we need are jobs, jobs, more jobs; gainful employment. The jobs that Waiguru & Co are chest thumping about are not sustainable. What will happen after drenching of all the sewer passages and construction of the toilets, toilets? They will be jobless again. For my friend Samson Onyango and other Urban Planners out there, we need ingenious sustainable urban plans.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN KENYA: IT’S TIME TO SCALE BACK TO BARE MINIMUM

In Overall, higher education in Kenya has really grown in terms of capacity and training. However, more effort should be channeled towards research so that we can find solutions to never ending problems that come up every single day.  

Koitalel Arap Samoei University and Nyamira State University to be established in Nandi & Nyamira Counties respectively will be the next entrants in higher education. While that is commendable, I want to believe that we have somewhat successfully managed to elevate higher education in Kenya and it’s time to focus on creating jobs for the thousands of graduates that we train in these numerous university lest we make the already deteriorating situation much worse.

Statistics show that Kenya produces approximately 50,000 graduates annually and this number is expected to rise steadily in the coming years.  While the government records show that 116,000 formal jobs were created last year (2014), we still have thousands without jobs. Referring to the statistics, it means that we had 56,000 surplus jobs.  Undoubtedly, there is inconsistency with the data and most probably it’s not accurate as it does not represent the reality on the ground. The number of university graduates is not in sync with the jobs created.

With the significant growth, we should then scale back the budget to bare minimum for higher education and divert the funds to basic education (primary & secondary) which is in dire need of searious upgrading.

#My2Cents #Budget2015

OF SONKO AND HIS GOODIES

I have seen pictures of Sonko circulating in the social media showing him shopping for Fire engine somewhere in Dubai. His acts of “charity” has enabled him to acquire massive grass root support across the political divide. However, I believe his model of development and assistance is not the right one. As a matter of fact, it’s a catapult to the dependency syndrome that we are working hard to eliminate. The middle class seen him as an attention seeker but a psychologist will tell you that in his earlier for life he probably had self-esteem issues. That’s why I wouldn’t criticize him harshly despite his ridiculous antics.

That aside, if he is really interested in helping people then he should empower them to fend for themselves instead giving handouts. With his deep pockets, he can begin with establishing a factory/ industry, a fertilizer manufacturing plant for instance. We don’t have one despite the fact that our economy is anchored by the agricultural sector. The industries will have multiplier effect besides creating sustainable jobs for the ever increasing jobless graduates. On the whole, I am not sure whether the ‘philanthropy’ is only meant to hoodwink people to vote him the next governor for the lovely people of Nairobi. Will it stop once he becomes the governor? I guess time will tell. 

KINYOZI, MEN’S GOSSIP CENTRES

To men, Kinyozi (Barbershop) is what a Salon is to women. Kinyozi’s are the next gossip centres for men away from the bar. For a long time, gossip has been known as women affair. However, what many don’t know is that men do engage in acts of gossip from time to time.

Unlike, women who engross in vitriol and malicious chatter about their friends & neighbours, men’s gossip is largely limited to women, alcohol and politics. There is no badmouthing and backstabbing whatsoever more so against other men. Otherwise, there is honour in the league of men.

That said, a fortnight ago, I was at my preferred barbershop in hood. You see, every Kinyozi in any neighbourhood will always have those boys from the neck of the hood hanging around, wishing away time.

On this fateful day, one of the boys shared a rather shocking allegations regarding Churchill Show. The lad claimed that there is a lot of corruption going on during auditioning of the stand-up comedians seeking to perform in the show. Those auditioning were required to pay up to 60% of the pay they receive after performance. He went ahead to say that some who don’t know the practice have been trying to audition but with little success. If these allegations are true then it is very unfortunate.

While at it, I would say that stand-up comedy in Kenya has overplayed tribal jokes and stretched it too far. To this end, shows like Churchil Live have lost mature audience. Tribal jokes were once rib cracking but not anymore as we have come to be used to it. Everyday, I meet people from different tribes with their typical behaviours. So, it won’t be logical for me to pay exaggerated ticket costs to watch something that I can get to experience everyday.

That said, producers of stand-up comedy should take a step back and reinvent comedy if they are still interested in making money out of it. Otherwise, from where I sit, it’s heading to oblivion. 

DEADBEAT ENGINEERS: KENYAN ENGINEERS NEED TO UP THEIR GAME

As a first year who has just been admitted to college you get to experience so many things. For me, the most striking experience was my encounter with those who had been admitted to pursue the so called ‘prestigious courses’.  The definition of prestigious courses was varied with some considering technical aspects of the course while others paying attention to the salary scales of the said profession. Many claimed to be doing ‘technical’ courses just because the curriculum had some complex mathematics here and there.

Anyway, those claiming to be pursuing these ‘prestigious courses’ had a ‘better than you’ attitude towards us those who took humanity based courses. According to them, they thought we were not brilliant enough to pursue those courses oblivious of the fact that some had surpassed the cut off points but they were maintaining their cool. Maybe they were right. But, it could be that we were not looking to stress ourselves with finding values of x and y for 5 years.

Surprisingly, those who took Business Management and Economics also considered themselves superior. Someone shoot me. I have always wondered what was so special about the course that granted some of the candidates their bragging rights. In fact, with the increasing exam cheating in the KCSE, it’s difficult to judge the cognitive competence of students basing on the KCSE grades. To unmask them, give them aptitude tests.  Real bright students will stand out. It’s only after pursuing the prestigious courses and ending up jobless after graduation just like the rest of us did they realize their nothing prestigious in their courses- anyway. 

But I digress.

Of those who took the ‘prestigious courses’ there was no group that had a lot of arrogance than those who took Engineering. When conversing with some of them, they would from time to time remind the gathering mostly taking ‘lesser courses’ that they were engineers in the making. Little did they know that they would join us in our humanity faculties after being discontinued for scoring cumulative fails in their first year of study. I always told them in Engineering, there is no trying; it’s either you know or you don’t know unlike in humanity were we are allowed to argue our case. There is no definite answer to problems.

Personally, I hold Engineers in high esteem because I believe they are brilliant and they are our key to a prosperous nation. Engineering has been advocated as the key driver of an industrial economy that can lead a country such as Kenya to a middle income status. Sadly, here in Kenya we are not faring well as we should.

Today, I asked a friend of mine, a Computer Engineer, what he has invented or innovated since completing college approximately 2 years ago. He gave me a blank look. I probed him further perhaps if he is working on some kind of a project but still nada. That right there is our problem. We have people enrolling to engineering for the sake of the tag ‘Eng’ and the huge salaries associated with the course. Consequently, we have a bunch of engineering graduates who lack vision as they are not passionate about Engineering.  All engineering contracts are going to the Chinese and Japanese yet we have engineers graduating from our institutions. Those who are awarded contracts do substandard jobs.

While those in Electrical and Electronic Engineering are doing comparatively well, those in Civil, Mechanical, and Structural Engineering are simply deadbeat. If MPESA was invented in here Kenya, I believe we have great potential and as a way to mitigate the perennial problem of unemployment, we need the engineers to jam start the industrial revolution in Kenya. I would like to challenge all Kenyan engineers to leverage on their brilliance and knowledge to lead Kenya to an industrial economy.  As an Engineer, what have you invented or innovated? Food for thought.