President William Ruto has defended his administration against criticism over the country’s high youth unemployment, insisting the issue is a long-standing problem that predates his tenure. Speaking during an inspection of the Kilimani Police Housing Project in Nairobi, Ruto said his government is the first to implement a structured plan to address joblessness meaningfully.
“Unemployment did not start with the administration of William Ruto,” he said. “The problem exists because we’ve never had a proper, structured government strategy like the one I’ve put in place. That’s why we’ve had such a serious backlog of joblessness.”
Accompanied by Lands and Housing Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, the President dismissed suggestions that youth unemployment only became severe under his leadership, calling such claims misleading. “Are you telling me everyone was employed before I took office? Did unemployment start with my presidency? Let’s be honest, this is a long-standing issue,” Ruto posed.
Ruto warned against inciting young people over unemployment, saying job creation cannot be achieved through violence or destruction of property. “There are leaders who incite youth to destroy property under the guise of unemployment. But let’s be honest, does burning a supermarket create jobs?” he questioned.
Highlighting his administration’s efforts, Ruto cited the creation of over 320,000 jobs through the Affordable Housing Programme, 400,000 jobs through overseas employment placements, and nearly 200,000 digital jobs. “We now have a plan that ensures Kenyan youth, engineers, surveyors, plumbers, technicians, masons, are working. That’s the structured approach we’ve lacked for years,” he said.
He urged the youth to reject manipulation and seize the opportunities being rolled out across sectors. “Let us not deceive ourselves, and let us not incite the young people of Kenya. This cannot be solved in one day, but we are working on it,” he emphasized.
CS Wahome echoed the President’s sentiments, calling on the youth to avoid destructive paths. “We must reject the spirit of destruction and violence. Young people must refuse to be misused,” she said.
The Kilimani Police Housing Project, comprising 542 housing units, is part of the government’s broader efforts to improve police welfare while stimulating economic growth and employment through infrastructure development.
Written By Rodney Mbua
