Even youths in Eldoret and Kericho are not happy, even with President William Ruto, a son of the region, at the helm, former Mukurweini Member of Parliament Kabando Wa Kabando says.
He complains that joblessness is messing young people up around the country, wondering how the President is managing to come up with other agenda rather than coming to the rescue of the youth.
Kabando, a known Ruto critic, has suggested that this is what Ruto and Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga should focus on in their ongoing talks, and not other less relevant things, warning that the youth are losing hope.
“The only most important critical singularly urgent issue that should be dialogued at Bomas is the cost of living crisis and Youth Unemployment. Cases of youths committing suicides all over is a Red Flag signaling despair, hopelessness,” he said in a statement on X on Monday.
Kabando, who unsuccessfully vied for the Nyeri senate in the 2022 election, said that joblessness is driving the youth to do the most extreme things, including harming themselves and suicide.
He added that interestingly, the situation is even affecting Ruto’s own people in his own county of origin of Uasin Gishu.
“A village a few minutes away Nairobi’s CBD has lost 14 youths to suicides in August, including the highly trained but jobless young engineer who burnt himself to death in Mombasa. Another village in Nyeri recently had 3 suicides. Anger of Youths in Eldoret and Kericho etc. overflowing,” he added.
In the Bomas talks, Ruto’s demands include the creation of more leadership positions; that of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and that of the Opposition Leader.
Azimio, on the other hand, wants electoral reforms and a look into the high cost of living issue.
