Youth Unemployment In Kenya

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Youth unemployment rates are high across the world. The Independent Evaluation Group (2013), reports that in 2011 the International Labour Organization estimated that 12.6 percent of youth in the world’s labour force are unemployed, corresponding to about 74.6 million youth. Nevertheless, youth unemployment rates vary substantially across time and across countries. In 2011, Kenya’s unemployment rate was approximated at 40 percent. Odera (2013) et al. reports that 55% of the unemployed in Kenya are the youth.

Since 1990, the international community has increased its dedication to deal with youth unemployment. In 1995, governments called for special attention to youth unemployment in the World

The CYCI is an entrepreneurial scheme for unemployed youth involving microcredit, training, and enterprise development. Up to 1999, CYCI was piloted for a three-year pilot cycle at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The program creates employment by advancing low-cost easily accessible credit to established successful ventures and training in financial and enterprise management. The program also educates the youth and youth-based organizations in operation and management of credit programs. The aim of the scheme is to develop ability to manage business ventures, a prerequisite for self-employment (The Independent Evaluation Group,

One of the youth targeted skills development programmes in Kenya is the NYS. Since 1964, the NYS has been implemented as an avenue for acquisition of practical life and employment skills by the youth. The Kenya government has also been implementing the KKV program as part of the youth employment interventions. The KKV was started in 2009 to engage 200,000 to 300,000 youths annually in the rural and urban areas in labour intensive public works projects (Hope, 2012).

In June 2006, the government of Kenya launched the YEDF as one of the strategies to deal with youth unemployment (The Republic of Kenya, 2011). The Fund is one of the principal Vision 2030 projects. On 11th May 2007 the Fund was changed a State Corporation. The Fund addresses youth unemployment by advancing loans to youth owned enterprises, attracting and facilitating investment in commercial infrastructure, developing linkages with large enterprises, and marketing of products and services of youth enterprises. In addition, the YEDF facilitate employment of youth in the international labour market (Hope,