This archive report was first published on 22 July 2019.
Jobless Kenyans Share Heartbreaking Struggles in Search of Employment ¶
As the job market in Kenya continues to be challenging, many graduates are finding themselves struggling to secure employment despite holding impressive academic qualifications.
On Sunday, Citizen TV aired the story of Kelvin Ochieng, a First-Class graduate from the University of Nairobi who is jobless and homeless. Kelvin, a former Maranda High School student, scored straight A's in KCSE and proceeded to study Actuarial Science at the university.
After failing to land a job, Kelvin was forced to live on the streets for a year before being taken in by a stranger, Christopher Oloo, who lives in Kosovo, Mathare slums. Kelvin's story sparked a wave of responses from other frustrated graduates who took to social media to share their own struggles and ask for help.
Jeff Koinange, the TV host, called on potential employers to come to Kelvin's aid, saying, 'There has to be somebody out there who can help Kelvin. First-class Honours. A First-class student. It's not right. We will have failed as a nation if we can't help such people out there.'
Soon after the story aired, other frustrated graduates took to social media to ask for help, sharing their certificates and mobile numbers just in case there is an opening. Some of the graduates who shared their stories include Duke of Kirinyagashire, who graduated with a Bsc in Supply Chain Management and has been applying for jobs for over a year, and Douglas Ondieki, who scored a First Class in Actuarial Science from Seku in 2017 but has been unable to find employment.
