Let’s focus on creating jobs, not exporting our labour
The government has been on an overdrive, hunting for jobs for Kenyans abroad.
Kenya's biggest headache is how to entrench patriotism. This is because Kenyans have, over time, lost hope in their country, and it is getting to unprecedented levels. Our leaders are not helping as they continue championing jobs outside the country and actually making it look as if it is a big achievement.
The recent Olympics also brought to the fore discussions on how Kenyan athletes who were either rejected at home or left to their own are winning big for the countries they now represent.
It is not lost that the Kenyan government is working round the clock to get Kenyans jobs outside the country. My worry is that these jobs outside the country, however small they may be, will offer slightly more than the Kenyan market would, and thus, the best in all fields will leave. What will be left of Kenya?
Growing concern
It is a growing concern that as a country, we are not embracing locally led solutions to the nightmare that is unemployment and are instead opting to export our labour.
What if the government would, through Parliament, set up a law to allow a fund, accessible by young people fresh out of university or tertiary institutions, to build what is Kenyan and encourage innovation?
There also has to be self-drive from us as Kenyans, championing what is Kenyan, including music.
When Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua was the government spokesperson under President Mwai Kibaki, he championed a campaign dubbed “Mimi ni Mkenya Daima” and, to some extent, it created a buzz as there were stickers even on vehicles.
Back to the just concluded Olympics, most athletes and celebrities were seen donning the Kenyan flag bracelet, which in other spheres would cost an arm and a leg as advertisement, but there they were, appreciating our colours. Yet, we the owners of the Kenyan flag, are not bothered.
We should rethink our strategy as a nation and prioritise building it before we export the best to nations that are already well established.
Change tack
In fact, President William Ruto should change tack and have his government focus on building Kenya and growing opportunities locally, not just for the young people, but for the nation as a whole.
This should cascade to agriculture where we should have it as policy that no raw material should be shipped out of this country, including our tea and coffee. Rather, we should do the value addition ourselves and sell our products with the “Made in Kenya” logo, otherwise we’ll continue using toothpicks with the “Made in China” logo.
Mr Murithi is a communication expert; [email protected].
