Being a GenZ in Kenya, I have seen it fit to have this research explore the creeping incidence of crime among the youth due to mostly unemployment. This issue is not a figure to use in our databases, it is our reality, pain, and struggle each waking day and night reminding us of the socio-economic realities of our existence. It is a story that requires an account and today, I would like to give it from my side.
It is somehow sarcastic how when we were kids we were being told how education is the way to achieving your goals and success. We were being encouraged to work hard, stay in school, and finally when you get that job, you will have what you want. Yet for so many of us, this dream has gradually slipped from what was once a realistic and attainable ambition and become a mere mirage. The bitter truth is that this is an economy that is barely creating employment opportunities for young people, let alone providing them.
Allow me to recount the story of one of my closest friends, whom I shall refer to as Roy, to illustrate this brutal truth. He is a certified holder of a degree in Business Administration which he obtained from a very prestigious university, but the search for a job has been very very tiresome for him. Failures have been ever-present as he has applied for several jobs and had countless interviews but was always declined. His family expected him to be an achiever and earn for the family and the pressure overwhelmed him. He was finally tempted into the life of getting riches easily by engaging in a robbery crew that included doing hard drugs and cybercrime. This is not an isolated case but rather a reality of the youth in modern society particularly in Kenya.
The high unemployment crisis is a time bomb not only to the individuals it touches but also to society as a whole. As the figures indicate, more than one in every three youths remains jobless, with dire consequences. This results in increased crime rates which are one of the most conspicuous and the first in the list of undesirable effects. In the current society, the acts of crime perpetrated especially by the youth range from simple things like muggings, and car-jacking to advanced internet fraud, and the like. This surge in crime reduces the safety of people in the community as everyone becomes aware of the danger present in society.
However, unemployment is even more devastating in terms of the impact on the individuals, that is, the psychological effects it causes. The pressure of always looking for a job, being rejected, and the insecurity of putting food on the table leave the feeling of hopelessness. This emotional burden, reflected in higher rates of substance abuse and mental health issues, hurts the perpetrators. For many, the lure of crime is not merely financial, but also a feeling of having the authority to exercise power during what may have been a helpless situation.
Solving this crisis can only be achieved through the reassessment and implementation of measures on more than one front. However, the following are some of the measures that can be taken to enhance the creation of employment; this is not restricted to leveraging on foreign investment but also encouraging and promoting local investors and companies. Vocational training programs can ensure the youth is provided with the practical skills required in the job market by keeping a balance between education and economic requirements.
In addition, there is an urgent need to enforce social protection in support of unemployed persons. Professional help, help from support or peer groups, counseling, and programs for substance abuse and mental health may help to alleviate the burden. Moreover, trying to bring changes in the education system so that it runs parallel with employment opportunities that are available in the labor market today, may help the graduates of the present day to get a well-paid and suitable job.
In a nutshell, the increase in crimes among the youthful population in Kenya is a true and fair indication of the unemployment crisis in our nation. Looking from the Gen Z lens, I can also view the hopelessness and desperation that makes such decisions from the youths in society. It is therefore a wake-up call to our authorities, politicians, and the entire population to pay attention to this problem and fight it as it should be. It is only when they are provided with a favorable environment that our generation can be saved from the throes of crime and lead a productive and prosperous life.
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