Youth Economic Dialogues: Partnership between IEA Kenya and Alternatives Africa

Post date: Wed, Sep 2, 2015
Category: Economic Growth
By: Oscar Ochieng,

Unemployment in Kenya is acute given the bulging youth phenomena. Young people are three times more to be unemployed compared to the older generation most likely due to their lack of experience. However, when the jubilee administration took office, many Kenyan youth were optimistic, they knew they would benefit from the Kshs 6 billion as promised by the Jubilee Coalition during the campaign period. The money was initially set aside for the presidential re-run should any of the candidates fail to garner 50 plus one percent of the total vote cast. The launch of the Ksh 6 billion Uwezo fund was aimed at boosting youth entrepreneurship skills and businesses. This initiative rides on the realization that over the years, unemployment has emerged as the greatest challenge facing Kenya.

The Institute in conjunction with Alternatives Africa held a public forum on youth economic dialogues on 19th August 2015 at the Sarova Hotel to stimulate policy debate on the potential benefits of youth entrepreneurship and the challenges that inhibit its progress as well as propose policy measures and strategies that can be initiated to ensure young Kenyan contribute towards socio-economic development. The event was graced by Hon. Ken Okoth, Kibra MP who urged the youth to form groups in order to access the youth fund and uwezo fund to set up businesses.

Time has come for young people to realize that their future is in their hands and that they should not wait for policy makers and stakeholders to make decisions and policies on their behalf rather they must rise up to the occasion and engage in formulation of policies that would be beneficial to them as they are better placed to do so as they are fully aware of the challenges and opportunities that exist in their immediate environment, as well as the stake in what has the potential to restrict or propel their future success.

The youth need to understand and grasp Kenya’s national economic policies including their role in the formulation and implementation of the same. Once the youth are seen as full-fledged economic actors and stakeholders in the discovery and shaping of economic opportunities, their participation will accelerate and strengthen socio-economic development, national economic growth and transformation as well as significantly contribute towards the achievement of the goals of Kenya’s economic blueprint, Vision 2030

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