The Ministry of Labour has outlined a comprehensive employment strategy to address Kenya’s graduate unemployment crisis, with officials revealing that the formal economy can only absorb 250,000 of the one million graduates produced annually from all tertiary institutions across the country.
Speaking at the 8th graduation ceremony of Taita Taveta University on Friday, Principal Secretary for Labour Shadrack Mwadime announced four key initiatives designed to ensure everyone has a fair chance to thrive in the job market while acknowledging the stark reality facing new graduates entering Kenya’s increasingly competitive employment landscape.
The strategies, branded as ‘Kazi Majuu’ (jobs abroad), ‘Kazi Mtandaoni’ (online jobs), ‘Kazi Baharini’ (blue economy jobs), and ‘Kazi Kwa Ground’ (local jobs), represent the government’s multifaceted response to mounting graduate unemployment that has become a critical national challenge requiring innovative policy interventions.
The PS assured graduates that the current administration is committed to supporting both current and future academicians pursuing higher education levels.
Defending the controversial ‘Kazi Majuu’ programme against persistent brain drain criticism from opponents, Mwadime drew compelling parallels with South Korea’s successful development model.
He cited how the Asian nation strategically sent young people to Japan, Germany, and Saudi Arabia three decades ago to acquire advanced skills and industrial know-how that later transformed their domestic economy.
“Brain drain, if you look at the flip side of it, the other side of the coin, is brain gain,” Mwadime explained, challenging conventional wisdom about skilled migration.
He noted that South Korea’s strategic human capital export had enabled the country to compete globally, with Samsung rivalling Apple’s iPhone and Hyundai competing with Toyota in international markets.
Drawing historical parallels, the PS referenced Africa’s colonial exploitation, noting that “100 years ago the whites sat in Berlin, subdivided and partitioned Africa. They came and exploited our resources. They were able to industrialise.”
He positioned the current strategy as a form of economic retaliation, using skilled Kenyan workers as instruments of national development.
“We are using you as our frontline economic soldiers. As you go out there, save as much as you can and come back with know-how,” Mwadime told the graduates, emphasising the untapped economic potential of diaspora remittances.
He revealed impressive growth in Kenyan diaspora contributions, from $3.8 billion three years ago to $4.95 billion last year, which is equivalent to approximately Sh700 billion.
The PS noted that current diaspora contributions represent only five percent of Kenya’s about four trillion-shilling annual budget, suggesting huge potential for growth.
“If we push it to even a trillion shillings, it will be a quarter of our national budget,” he stated, emphasising the transformative economic impact possible through strategic labour export.
Acknowledging Kenya’s substantial resource base, Mwadime challenged graduates who would go out for jobs to return with international experience and capital to exploit domestic opportunities.
“Our resource base is extremely high. We should be able to exploit the resources we have. We should be able to expand our economy,” he emphasised.
For graduates not pursuing overseas opportunities, Mwadime highlighted the government’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) policy framework specifically designed to facilitate online employment opportunities.
He emphasised that many Kenyans had already succeeded in digital work platforms, creating viable career paths in the growing gig economy.
The PS also stressed Kenya’s largely untapped blue economy potential, describing how the country had ‘just scratched the surface’ of marine resource exploitation. He identified pharmaceutical products and green energy as key sectors where graduates could find meaningful employment while contributing to national development.
“We have been looked down upon as African people, but we want to rely upon you, highly skilled young Kenyans, to ensure the dignity of the African man is upheld,” Mwadime declared, positioning the graduates as instruments of continental pride and development.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Taita Taveta County Governor Andrew Mwadime echoed PS Mwadime’s sentiments, urging graduates to serve as effective ambassadors for their alma mater, emphasising their responsibility to maintain the university’s reputation while contributing to its continued development as successful alumni.
He specifically mentioned provisions in the university’s framework for former student contributions, encouraging ongoing engagement with the institution.
Governor Mwadime characterised the region as ‘a giant’ in terms of natural resource endowment, specifically highlighting opportunities in agriculture, livestock, and mining sectors that graduates could leverage with their newly acquired knowledge and skills.
“I personally consider this country as a virgin. These resources, many of which are not exploited, especially in this county,” the governor stated, challenging graduates to become change agents in unlocking regional economic potential.
By Arnold Linga Masila
