Thousands of youth in Nairobi turned up for 1,500 job openings advertised by the Kenya Association of Private Employment Agencies (KAPEA), once again highlighting the gravity of Kenya's unemployment crisis.
In a video shared online, the hiring officers had a hard time controlling the youth who had shown up for the recruitment exercise.
The job seekers who woke up early to compete for the slots were also bundled in a long queue that extended from the agency's offices, through the parking lot, towards the nearby residential area.
According to the hiring officer, the opening job opportunities included dishwashers, butchers, waiters, and security guards, among others.
She also acknowledged that applicants were allowed to change their initially selected job preferences to maximise their chances of securing an opportunity.
"The interviewer has agreed with my request that even if you had applied for security and want to change to do the work of a waitress, then it's okay. The most important thing is that you agree and you are ready to do the work," she noted.
"The job opening slots include dishwashers, butchers, waiters, security guards so don't lose an opportunity because you don't want a specific work."
In a similar situation, thousands also turned up for 350 vacancies advertised by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in September 2023. The long queues spilt over to the Eastern Bypass, hence causing traffic snarl-up.
The incidents show the worsening unemployment crisis in the country, which has left thousands of Kenyans struggling to meet their basic needs.
According to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the number of jobless persons grew 2.94 per cent from 2.89 million in September 2022 to 2.97 million in December 2022.
Over 80,000 Kenyans also lost their jobs during the same period.
From the data, 1.54 million people, which comprised youth below 20 and 29 years, were the most affected by the situation.
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