NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 12 – As the world marks International Youth Day 2026 on Wednesday, young Kenyans are confronting a difficult combination of unemployment, economic insecurity and political pressures, even as they continue to aspire to a society that offers opportunity, dignity and a meaningful role in shaping the country’s future.This year’s International Youth Day theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” highlights the shared aspirations of young people across different circumstances.For Kenya’s youth, those aspirations are being tested by limited employment opportunities, underemployment and the pressure to find alternative ways of making a living.Speaking to Capital FM on International Youth Day, writer, economist and 2027 presidential candidate Sungu Oyoo identified unemployment as one of the biggest challenges facing young people.Oyoo cited a youth unemployment rate of 67.7 percent, saying young people want opportunities for self-advancement and a life that affords them dignity, but that the structure of the economy is not creating sufficient opportunities.“The general structure of the economy at this particular moment in time really doesn’t allow them because there simply are no opportunities within the wider economy,” Oyoo said.He said the lack of economic opportunities can also leave young people susceptible to political mobilisation, including recruitment into violence.Oyoo noted that more young people are seeking elective positions, from Members of County Assembly to the presidency, but said the political landscape remains heavily financialised.He said this makes political participation particularly difficult for young people without significant financial resources.Oyoo also pointed to the 2024 protests as an expression of young people’s dissatisfaction with existing power structures.“Young people have always had aspirations for better societies, to build those new societies,” he said, adding that the 2024 demonstrations reflected a generation seeking a more just, free and dignified society.International lawyer and columnist Njahira Gitahi said the employment expectations of young Kenyans have changed significantly compared with previous generations.Gitahi said young people were raised with the expectation that education would lead to employment, but the growing number of young people looking for work demonstrates that this pathway can no longer be taken for granted.“We grew up with these ideas that if you just get your education you’re assured of a job,” she said.Gitahi said the reality has forced young people to become increasingly creative in finding sources of income, some of which are more precarious than others.She said social media provides an important window into how young people view the economy, particularly as they navigate unemployment and financial insecurity.Youth and political violenceThe interview also examined the use of young people in political violence.Gitahi argued that economic desperation can make young people easier to recruit, while those who organise or finance such activities can be more difficult to identify and hold accountable.“It’s usually the youth themselves who end up facing the consequences and not their recruiters,” Gitahi said.She said the challenge is compounded by the difficulty of tracing the chain of command behind political violence.Gitahi also referred to incidents during the 2024 and 2025 protests, saying it can be difficult to establish where the recruitment and mobilisation of groups involved in violence begins.Oyoo similarly linked political mobilisation to the economic position of young people.“Most of our youth, like I mentioned earlier, are unemployed,” he said. “And so it is very possible or very easy that as they try to get an income or when they are in a desperate position, that they can be used by politicians for cross purposes.”He said young people are used for political mobilisation, including in cases where groups are organised to participate in violence.Oyoo argued that Kenya’s political environment has become ethnicised, financially driven and associated with violence, leaving young people in precarious positions vulnerable to exploitation.Boda bodas, matatus and the search for opportunityThe interview also examined the role of boda boda and matatu culture in the lives of young Kenyans.Gitahi said boda boda riding provides a genuine source of income for many young people, while matatu culture has also developed into an important social and cultural space.She said young people are trying to find ways to earn a living while also seeking community and spaces in which they can express themselves.Gitahi, however, raised concerns about the growing intersection between youth culture, politics and displays of wealth.She cited the contrast between young people facing unemployment and the conspicuous wealth displayed by political and business elites.“The youth are trying to find a way to get by. They’re trying to also find community,” she said.Gitahi argued that the visibility of wealth can be particularly striking for young people who feel excluded from economic opportunities.Oyoo agreed that boda boda and matatu sectors provide employment, but cautioned against treating them as the foundation for Kenya’s long-term economic development.“No country has ever grown to first world status based on a boda boda economy or matatu economy as the key driver of employment,” he said.Oyoo called for industrialisation and the creation of opportunities across different sectors, including arts and sports, where young people can apply their skills.“If we really want to develop as a country, develop our economy, grow our economy, we have to engage in a process of industrialization as a country and have enough industries and also create linkages with other sectors,” he said.He also cautioned about the use of boda boda and matatu networks in political mobilisation and violence.Oyoo said the willingness of some young people to accept small payments for such activities reflects the financial pressures they face.He nevertheless acknowledged the cultural importance of the matatu sector, describing it as a space that has developed its own vibrant urban subculture.The attraction of quick moneyThe two speakers also discussed the growing attraction of gambling, Forex and other schemes promising young people quick financial gains.Gitahi said social media can create pressure by constantly exposing unemployed young people to images of wealth and messages suggesting that financial success can be achieved quickly.She said this can make betting and questionable online money-making schemes particularly attractive to young people who have limited income and few employment opportunities.“It’s you have a lot of time, you have no money, and you’re on social media seeing people driving the flashiest cars and having the most beautiful girlfriends and holding bundles of money,” Gitahi said.“Nobody wants to languish in poverty.”Oyoo described the growing gambling culture as a potential future crisis, saying many young people are being drawn into gambling while searching for income.“In a few years, it might be a national crisis, gambling,” he said.Oyoo also raised concerns about the widespread advertising of gambling platforms, saying young people, including under-age children, are exposed to such messages online.He argued that the economy needs to be structured so that young people can earn a living through productive work rather than speculative activities.“Let us invest in people’s skills, people’s knowledge, such that people can do real substantive work and earn a living out of them,” he said.He also called for an education system aligned with the realities of the 21st-century economy and the aspirations of young people.Beyond youth fundsGitahi questioned whether government programmes and funds targeting young people are addressing the scale of the economic challenges they face.She cited successive youth initiatives and questioned whether relatively small amounts of money can provide a sustainable pathway out of unemployment when young people are expected to establish businesses in a difficult economic environment.“The president gives you 10,000 and is saying now you can start a thriving coffin business. And it just doesn’t make feasible sense,” she said.Gitahi said Kenya already has laws and policies intended to support young people, but implementation remains a major challenge.She argued that the issue is not simply the absence of policies, but whether existing measures are actually producing long-term benefits for young people.She also questioned whether youth funds should be assessed by the number of initiatives launched or by the long-term economic impact they have on beneficiaries.The changing value of moneyA recurring theme in the discussion was the changing perception of wealth among young people.Gitahi argued that the question of how money is acquired is increasingly being pushed aside in favour of the visible rewards that come with having it.She said this is partly driven by economic hardship and constant exposure to displays of wealth on social media and in public life.“We’ve removed the morality aspect from money,” she said.Gitahi argued that young people facing economic insecurity can become particularly attracted to flashy lifestyles without necessarily questioning how the wealth behind those lifestyles was acquired.She expressed concern that this could also influence political choices as Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election.She said young people should not simply aspire to individual wealth, but should focus on creating a society where people have access to education, healthcare, basic economic security and reliable sources of income.A generation seeking a different KenyaOyoo said the aspirations expressed by young people during the 2024 protests remain important.He pointed to the slogans “tribeless, partyless, leaderless”, saying they reflected an attempt by young people to move beyond traditional political identities.He warned against political narratives that could divide young people along ethnic or partisan lines.“The only thing we have as young people at a fundamental level is actually ourselves and our ideas for a better country, our aspirations for a better country,” Oyoo said.He urged young people to remain focused on creating a Kenya that guarantees dignity and justice and to resist political incentives that could leave them economically disadvantaged for another five-year political cycle.“Let’s resist these temptations and keep steady and firm on the path towards creating a new Kenya and birthing a new republic that can guarantee dignity for our generation,” he said.Gitahi, however, expressed concern that economic desperation and the growing attraction of displays of wealth could influence the political choices of young people.She said the goal should not simply be to create a society with more wealthy individuals.“We don’t need a country with 50 million millionaires. We need a country where everyone has access to education, to healthcare, to a basic income, and to a source of income,” she said.As Kenya marks International Youth Day 2026, the discussion highlights the gap between the aspirations of young people and the economic and political realities they face.The challenges raised by the two speakers extend beyond unemployment to questions of political participation, economic dignity, youth culture, exploitation and the kind of society young Kenyans want to build.The 2026 theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” is reflected in that conversation — young people may face different circumstances, but their aspirations for opportunity, dignity and a meaningful role in shaping their future remain central.For Kenya, the challenge is how those aspirations can translate into sustainable employment, productive economic opportunities and meaningful participation in the country’s social and political future.