A roadmap for creation of thousands of jobs in Kenya

Kenya's youth unemployment crisis demands more than rhetoric — it requires a clear, deliberate roadmap anchored on value addition, agro-processing and support for micro and small enterprises.

Our region, blessed with abundant agricultural produce ranging from coffee and tea to avocado, miraa and livestock products, continues to export raw, unprocessed goods while importing finished products at a premium. This is a missed opportunity for job creation.

Investing in agro-processing hubs at the county level, supported by affordable credit and simplified business registration, could create thousands of direct and indirect jobs within a short period.

"We cannot keep exporting jobs by exporting raw materials. Value addition is where the jobs are."

County governments, working with national agencies such as the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute, should prioritize setting up processing facilities for the region's key crops. Technical training institutions should also realign their curricula to match the skills needed in emerging agro-processing industries.

The private sector, too, has a role to play by investing in last-mile aggregation and processing infrastructure, particularly in counties producing coffee, avocado, miraa and livestock products.

If implemented deliberately, such a roadmap could transform the Eastern region from a raw-material exporter into a hub of agro-industrial activity, creating the thousands of jobs our youth so urgently need.