Kindiki: Unemployment Driving Youth into Crime and Drug Abuse
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has raised the alarm over the growing crisis of youth unemployment in Kenya, warning that it is driving a generation into crime, drug abuse, and deep despair.
Speaking at the Nation-Huawei Leap Job Fair in Nairobi on Monday, Kindiki said the government had been jolted by the recent wave of youth-led protests to prioritize job creation and expand economic opportunities for the youth.
“While many challenges face the young people today, undoubtedly the most acute challenge young people face in Kenya and in many parts of the world is the inability to access employment, jobs, and income opportunities,” he said.
Kindiki revealed that over 60 per cent of Kenya’s unemployed population are youth, a significant number of whom lack vocational or professional training. This, he warned, is fueling dangerous trends of crime, substance abuse, and a general sense of hopelessness.
“This is what drives young people into crime and drugs and a general state of hopelessness and despair,” Kindiki said.
He cited the International Labour Organisation’s World Employment and Social Trends Report 2025, which shows youth unemployment globally remains significantly higher than among adults — in some countries, even three to four times higher.
He warned that Kenya is already feeling the brunt of this trend, with many young people taking to the streets in frustration over economic hardship and a lack of prospects.
“These actions have affected the financial stability of many households and the mental stability of those directly affected — both by the destruction meted on businesses and those frustrated by unemployment,” Kindiki noted.
He called for heavy investment in training and skills development, saying it is the only sustainable way to address the joblessness crisis and prevent further social decay.
“The government is scaling up initiatives aimed at empowering youth and absorbing them into the job market to safeguard the country’s stability and future,” he said.
Kindiki emphasized that the recent protests validated the Kenya Kwanza administration’s strategic focus on youth employment.
“We gather here today on the back of recent events in the last two weeks in this country, which now more than ever validate the strategic focus of this government in pursuing job creation and income opportunities for our young people,” he said.
As youth unemployment continues to pose a serious threat to national cohesion, the Deputy President stressed that urgent and collective action is required to restore hope and direction for Kenya’s younger generation.
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Kindiki: Unemployment Driving Youth into Crime and Drug Abuse