It’s three months to the general elections and the unemployment rate is standing at a staggering 6.6 per cent up from 2.8 per cent when President Uhuru Kenyatta took over from the late Mwai Kibaki.
Youths remain the most affected section of the population after the number of the jobless doubled to 5.4 million people in Kenyatta’s tenure. Top presidential aspirants have designed their manifestoes to address the
problem with Kenya Kwanza’s presidential flag bearer Dr William Ruto building his approach around bottom-up economic concept.
DP Ruto’s approach promises to be a sure bet to revive the depleted economy and ensure that it is stable. The Deputy President’s manifesto is tailored to different groups of voters but women and the youth are the
critical categories.
His campaign items range from creating employment for the youth, building of schools, healthcare improvement and agriculture among other things that affect the daily lives of Kenyans.
Data from the 2019 census shows that 75% of Kenya’s 50 million people are under the age of 35, making it one of the most youthful nations in the region.
In his plans to address the joblessness within this segment of the population, Ruto has promised to set aside Sh100 billion fund which will support millions of youth by giving them capital to venture into business and be self-employed.
The Deputy President has made solving the problems facing the youths his first priority before addressing any other issue. He is promising to create up to four million jobs for the youth through the bottom up economic model.
“These youths are our children, we have taken them to school, and they have diplomas and degrees. If we don’t plan for their employment we will lose them to alcohol, robbery and depression,” Ruto said.
UDA leader has explained that these will be achieved through focus on empowering SMEs by supporting them in SACCOs and transforming agriculture to make farming more profitable and attractive to the youth.
DP Ruto has emphasized that it’s only through empowering small businesses and transforming the economy that many youths will be employed. He will face off with opposition chief Raila Odinga who is promising to overhaul the constitution, expand the executive and create positions for his cronies in Azimio La Umoja Coalition.
Odinga is also promising to create tax holiday for the youth in business and offer a Sh6000 monthly hand out to the jobless youths. But experts have poked holes on his unrealistic monthly stipend as a recipe for disaster since
it will lead to more taxes.
“Kenya cannot be built by stipends. It’s not a permanent solution. We need jobs and business opportunities that will make them economically independent.” Ruto said.
The ODM leader who is enjoying the backing of the State has however promised to carry on with Kenyatta’s disastrous policies which are chocking SMEs with multiple trading licenses and compliance certificates.
The multiplicity of the said licences has provided a breeding ground for corruption as businesses are forced to bribe government officials to operate without licenses.
But Kenya Kwanza government under its Uchumi Kwanza plan will implement the bottom up economic model which will reconfigure the country’s financial model to make it friendlier for smaller businesses to
flourish.
DP Ruto relates well with the ordinary Kenyans having grown in poverty and ‘hustled’ from being a chicken seller to be the country’s second in command.
