Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in the Agricultural Sector in Kenya

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the challenges hindering Kenyan youth from participation in the agricultural sector. In this study, qualitative analysis was used as a basic research tool. Youth unemployment in Kenya is higher than the overall national unemployment rate. Kenya's economy is not creating enough jobs to increase the number of young people entering the labor market. Despite the increasing youth unemployment, the number of young people in the agricultural sector has been declining. In contrast, the service and manufacturing sectors are growing significantly but are far from creating enough jobs for Kenya's young workforce. This can have negative implications as it increases unemployment and underemployment rates in Kenya and also undermines government efforts to drive economic growth through agriculture. Therefore, the agricultural sector is critical in creating employment and raising the living standards of Kenyan youth. The agricultural sector offers excellent opportunities to employ young people and to ensure food security. However, the sector has not yet fully utilized the potential of the young workforce and remains largely unattractive to them. Young people have a negative perception of agriculture, they perceive working in the agricultural sector as a last resort, as an activity for the elderly, and they do not see farming as a profitable business, which makes the situation even worse. The paper also highlights the employment opportunities in the agricultural sector, policies, strategies, and other initiatives to help position youths at the forefront of agricultural growth and transformation to achieve sustainable food systems.

Keywords

• Agricultural policy
• Youths
• Employment
• Rural labor
• Rural development.

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