This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
Published on July 24, 2019, a proposal to amend the Employment Act and Social Assistance Act in Kenya seeks to provide a safety net for jobless youths. The proposal, fronted by Saboti MP Caleb Amisi and Kimili MP Didmus Barasa, aims to provide a monthly stipend of Sh. 3,000 to unemployed youths.
According to reports, the proposal also seeks to amend the Social Assistance Act No. 24 of 2014 to provide a hardship allowance of Sh. 12,000 every four months to unemployed youths. The Cabinet Secretary would be empowered to gazette the hardship allowance under the proposed amendments.
Mr. Amisi's proposal is driven by the need to address the plight of unemployed youths in Kenya. He notes that unlike in some countries, Kenya does not provide unemployment allowance or social assistance to its citizens. This has left a significant number of unemployed youth struggling to sustain themselves in urban areas where opportunities are scarce.
According to the latest UNDP report, the number of unemployed youth in Kenya stands at 2.6 million. If the proposal is approved, the government would spend Sh. 93.6 billion in the first year to accommodate the unemployed youths, with the figure expected to rise to Sh. 100.8 billion in the second year.
