The Role of Youth Empowerment in Fostering Peace in Kenya

Abstract

Youth unemployment has always been a subject of discussion among various stakeholders in Kenya. Youth employment and empowerment has been identified as an important ingredient in ensuring that peace prevails in any society or community. In Kenya unemployment has been one of the daunting challenges facing the country. Consequently this has placed job creation as a priority in the Government's agenda. The violence in early 2008 highlighted the critical importance of addressing the problem of poverty and inequality, and in particular the increasing problem of idle youth as they were involved in the unrest and violence. Formal and informal employment can provide a mechanism of ensuring that the youths are empowered so that they are engaged and involved in developing our economy.

According to a survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics the youth account for 61% of the unemployed population in the country. The overall unemployment rate for youth is double the adult average, at about 21 percent. Statistics on joblessness suggest that the magnitude of the unemployment problem is larger for youth with 38 percent of youth neither in school nor work.

According to the Country's Social Analysis (World Bank, 2007) youth unemployment, especially among males, is a major contributor to frustration and tension, particularly in urban areas. Clearly, unemployment among the youth has now become a matter of serious policy concern in the country. Evidence from previous analytical work shows that lack of action on the challenges that affect youth will escalate both social and economic costs of development in Kenya.

The Kenyan Government has come up with some initiatives to try and involve the youths in key development projects such as the establishment of Youth Enterprise Fund and Kazi kwa Vijana projects that have tried to engage the youths to some extent. This might not be enough as such issues such as leadership involvement, participation in key decision making processes and collaborative management may provide additional mechanisms to fully involve the youths and in effect stave off or to a large extent reduce crime as such peace is fostered. One other avenue that may provide a platform to enhance youth economic mobility and comfort is the inclusion of youth interests in the constitution.