Foreigners are not the cause of unemployment in this country

The other day, social media was awash with reports of Chinese plying their trade in Gikomba market, Kenya’s biggest second-hand clothes market.

Popular opinion had it that, in setting up shop and conducting small businesses in the country, such foreign nationals deny thousands of jobless youth an opportunity to earn a living.

This, of course, comes against the backdrop of the SGR construction, which has seen Kenya engage hundreds of Chinese nationals in one of its most prestigious development projects in recent times.

It appears, however, that, even with the deportation of this group from the market, the Interior Cabinet secretary, Dr Fred Matiang’i, completely missed the concern that was being echoed by the cries of Kenyans in employing such a cosmetic measure.

An underlying issue, one that has been the source of frustration for thousands of youth, continues to dangle over our head as a nation. With a population of more than 40 million, a large percentage of which comprises of the youth, this demographic continues to bear the brunt of unemployment.

This frustration has led to build-up of tension and suspicion towards foreigners. This has the potential of fuelling a culture of hate — as was witnessed in the xenophobic attacks in South Africa that claimed the lives of hundreds of people and led to the destruction of property running into millions of dollars. While there was a lot of speculation as to what caused the attacks, it was evident that the motivation behind these tragic events did not develop overnight.

According to a study by the American research organization Pew Research Center in 2018, some 61 per cent of South Africans considered migrants to be a burden to society by taking jobs meant for locals and gaining social benefits at the expense of the citizens.

While this perception was not the only motivation for the attacks, it was, undoubtedly, one of the main reasons behind the hate that had built up over the years.

With such a huge number of young people in Kenya today, it is projected that the population is set to grow tremendously in coming years, increasing the joblessness.

Already, thousands of Kenyans make the journey north in search of greener pastures in the Middle East. But while some have thrived in the new opportunities, many of them make the journey back after months of pain and suffering at the hands of cruel and hostile employees.

The dilemma of opting to stay jobless in Kenya or face potential inhumane treatment in places far from home has driven thousands of youth with valid educational qualifications to crime and drug abuse.

This, compounded by the frustration of feeling that foreigners are taking up jobs that should be a reserve for the locals, remains a ticking time bomb that the government ought to promptly diffuse.

Amid the “Handshake”, which has served to cool the ever-soaring political temperatures, and which has also been attributed to the prevailing stability in the country and seen the recovery of the tourism industry and the economy in general, Kenya remains a threat to itself if it does not put to productive use the millions of its energetic young minds.

Undeniably, there is a need to ensure that there is an elaborate investment policy which will regulate the minimums in each sector that a foreign investor must have to be allowed to set up shop in the country.

But even as we work towards that, we must address the underlying concern that is unemployment and focus on creating more job opportunities.

We must also be careful not to excite the hate or despise of foreigner for reasons of lack of jobs. We must remain alive to the fact that thousands of youth were unemployed decades before the Chinese and other foreign nationals set foot in the country.

Owing to our industrious nature, many Kenyans have, for years, ventured into different countries to set up businesses and seek employment. It would be absurd not to expect foreigners who have the approval of the State through work permits to operate within our country. With just slightly over a decade to Kenya’s Vision 2030, the vision for the youth in the country’s master plan is far from achieved.

Corruption, nepotism and favouritism continue to flood the corridors that lead to job opportunities, drowning the dream of millions of Kenyan youth who now only feel entitled to smaller jobs, as we ar witnessing.

As the government, through the Kenya Investment Authority, works on implementing the Kenya Investment Policy, we must remember that this is not a foreigner’s issue but, largely, one of unemployment.