Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, on Tuesday, was appalled by the rate of unemployment in Kenya after 58,000 Kenyans applied for 8,000 positions.
Speaking in Naivasha, Kuria revealed that the intern positions announced by the Public Service Commission (PSC) received an influx of applications.
He revealed that the 50,000 applicants were left in limbo as job opportunities were scarce and the government could not accommodate them all.
"This issue of jobs to me is bigger than cancer. Every day I pray and ask God to help me give hope to these young Kenyans," Kuria, who was overwhelmed by the applications, stated.
He, however, revealed that he was looking for ways to ensure all the applicants were absorbed into different government ministries and departments.
Additionally, the CS added that he was in talks with the private sector to ensure all the applicants are offered internship opportunities to kickstart their careers.
"We cannot keep dancing around this issue of joblessness. We have a youthful population and that is why the President has introduced numerous programs for them," he remarked.
The CS further noted that through the National Youth Service (NYS) recruitment, the young population will join the police among other sectors upon graduation.
He emphasised that the recruitment would be conducted fairly to guarantee everyone a fair chance. President Ruto directed NYS to increase the number of recruits to 40,000 per year, with 80% later transitioning to the Kenya Police and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Unemployment has burdened young graduates who have resulted in odd jobs to make ends meet.
In 2023, thousands of job seekers thronged Embakasi Garrison after the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) advertised 350 job openings. A similar trajectory was witnessed after a supermarket and security company announced vacancies early this year.
A recent survey conducted by Infotrak revealed that Kenyans aged between 18 and 26 wanted the government to resolve the unemployment crisis in the country.
