MUKHONGO: Reality of unemployed, underemployed PhD holders in Kenya

In Austin, Texas, there is a saying that ‘even taxi drivers have PhDs’.

The saying has its genesis from the many doctorate degrees that are generated per year across the US. And with so many people attaining that qualification, it is deemed that unless the doctorate holder(s) become more entrepreneurial, dependency on securing placement either in academia or the private sector proves to be a Herculean task.

Up to a few years ago, earning a doctorate degree in Kenya was a direct pass to joining academia or placement with international development agencies.

When a Master’s degree holder was already teaching as a full-time lecturer, attaining a doctorate degree would earn them a direct promotion.

In 2014, the Commission for University Education issued a directive that all varsity lecturers without doctorate degrees had to enroll and complete their degrees by end of 2019. The directive had attendant implementation challenges and was soon after faced with court action, culminating in the court nullifying the same in 2019.

As at end of 2021, statistics from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics gave a conservative estimate of doctorate degree holders in Kenya to be less than 50,000 out of a population of about 55 million (according to Worldometer). This means doctorate degree holders are a paltry 0.1 per cent of the population. It is, therefore, unfathomable that we have thousands of doctorate degree holders who are underemployed and some totally unemployed!

How does one countenance a situation where a PhD holder remains formally unengaged for years on end? Isn’t it possible to have a progressive policy by the Ministry of Education to obligate public universities to absorb such graduates on needs basis?

How does one explain how PhD holders continue teaching in primary and secondary schools long after qualifying? Why can’t such people be promoted to levels where their acquired knowledge through doctorate training can best be utilised?

Would it infer that their effort in advancing their education was in vain? Why would the teachers’ employer then introduce a professional development course that is taught in a rushed way over holidays then purport to recognise personal development?

There are about 74 universities in Kenya and most of them are reeling under the weight of debts. Under the circumstances, expecting them to rationalise their operations and produce doctorate graduates that they can hire or link for placement through creating liaisons with the private sector is asking for too much from them.

The obtaining dynamics, coupled with a freeze on employment by Public Service Commission, will in the foreseeable future make the academic market remain dormant with no or little hiring of full-time teaching staff. Unfortunately, even where the doctorate degree holders teach on part-time basis, payment takes eons to come.

As a country, how can we claim to attach premium on higher education yet we cannot even guarantee placement for some of the crème de la crème of the academic ladder?

The journey to doctorate crowning is tedious, tortuous and humbling. No wonder some of the doctorate graduands refer to themselves as ‘PhD survivors’.

Beyond the content that one absorbs in their area of specialization, a doctorate offers strong organisational skills, adeptness in research, team collaboration, ability to deal with tight schedules and generally inculcates enhanced literary skills.

Doctor of Philosophy training prepares one for academia, specifically teaching, supervision and research. However, there is a paucity of opportunities in that area and the government ought to structurally provide opportunities for doctorate holders to use their skills in poring through vast literature in government agencies and identifying sector-specific best practices that can be applied both in government and industry. They can also translate the volumes of researches into a language that is easy to understand by all.

It takes sacrifice and a lot of brainpower to scale the academic ladder. However, there are pronounced biases where employers, especially those in the private sector, tend to assume doctorate holders should be constricted to academia and are deemed to be overqualified hence will be under-utilized and therefore unsuitable in the private sector.

Some even misconstrue that doctorate holders seek higher entry positions and compensation but the criteria should be that such individuals ought to be given a platform to demonstrate their expertise and work their way up the ladder.

The situation in Kenya is becoming dire and the government must move with speed to put in place systems where unemployed and underemployed doctorate degree holders can be registered for ease of tracing and tracking their career journeys.

The next dispensation should seriously think about strengthening the Higher Education Department because the gaps in universities are glaring.

Let it be the governments’ business to return the sheen on academic achievements so that those in the lower ranks can have the motivation to aspire for academic excellence.

Dr. Patrick Dan Mukhongo holds a PhD in Project Management and comments on topical issues