The nationwide doctors strike has shed a spotlight on the problems health practitioners, even the most experienced ones go through on a daily basis.
While the plight of experienced doctors working in various public hospitals across the country is well documented, the hardships that medical graduates who have yet to secure gainful employment endure can sometimes go under the radar.
Nancy Nekesa a trained nurse from Kapenguria, West Pokot County is one of these young Kenyans who are struggling to make ends meet despite being qualified to work in any Kenyan hospital.
Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, April 2, Nekesa narrated she has been forced to turn to menial jobs to make ends meet. She currently works at a local car wash where she makes an average of Ksh500 per day.
During the interview, Nekesa remarked that her parents scraped every Shilling they could to ensure that she completed her education through to college, only for her to enter the job market when the reality of unemployment hit her.
She explained that she had to take any job that came her way for survival stating that beggars can't be choosers. She has also set her sights on raising funds to further her education.
"I am undertaking this job, to save some little amount to achieve my dreams which include furthering my studies," she reiterated.
Besides saving up for more education, Nekesa also uses her meagre pay to support her siblings who are still studying.
She left college in 2020 but is yet to be formally employed. Despite the shortcomings, Nekesa does her job wholeheartedly and keeps hoping for a brigher tomorrow.
Nekesa revealed that efforts to apply for jobs have been futile and pleaded with well-wishers and the Ministry of Health to intervene to help her land employment.
Her clients are pleased with her work and also called upon relevant authorities to ensure she is hired.
Notably, Nekesa's case highlights the plight of thousands of young graduates who are still tarmacking years after graduation with employment opportunities extremely scarce in a grim economy.
Data shared by Statista shows that the rate of unemployment rose to 5.85 per cent in 2023 affecting more than 2 million individuals.
Another survey published by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) released in 2022 shows that Kenyans aged between 20-24 were most affected by unemployment.
To deal with this, the government has embarked on plans to send Kenyans abroad to fill the gap in different sectors, especially in European countries.
President William Ruto in May 2023 announced plans to send over 250,000 Kenyans to Germany for different job opportunities. The government has also approved about 100 agencies to recruit Kenyans for jobs abroad.
