The youth of Kenya and Africa today need guidance and mentorship, not political incitement and uncertainty.
Mentorship, from choosing the right education programmes to how to enter the job market, is essential. How is the government mitigating this?
Many young people, once done with high school, are thrown off balance on which courses to pursue.
Before finishing high school, they have to register the courses they want to pursue with the university joint admission board. This may not necessarily be what they are passionate about.
Why is this the case? Many fill in the applications in a rush, some select courses as marketed by their teachers and parents, while others pick what their fellow peers pick, hoping to attend the same university.
Some will also pick their dream areas and work towards getting the required grade.
Not all may, however, be lucky. The subject areas they select, sometimes may not be what they eventually want to do. They may also not obtain the needed grade to join the course or even to university and this is where it all falls for them.
Instead of having students battle such issues at the tender age of 17 or 18, why can't our system be designed in a way they are mentored into their dreams and ambitions early enough?
Some junior secondary and high schools have taken up the mantle already by having career days. The current generation is very keen on IT and other common courses such as medicine, engineering and law.
Many schools put an emphasis on getting mentors in such areas to speak to children; at least, this is a qualitative evaluation from the career days I have attended.
But what if the government took this mantle and instead merged some sort of synergy between universities and middle schools? That way, there will be a broader range of subject areas that will be marketed to students.
The government can also partner with higher education bilateral partners to market many other programmes, especially scientific and development-related programmes that would be of high value in the rapid growth of the country.
This idea could be replicated in universities could be executed well using mentors and role models.
The future of Kenya is bright if timely, well-structured decisions are made and with speed. To truly secure this future, deliberate mentorship structures must be institutionalised.
Young people deserve more than trial and error when defining their paths.
With coordinated efforts between government, schools and industry, we can build a generation that is confident, skilled, and aligned with national goals, unlocking Kenya’s full potential, one youth at a time.
Vera Bwire writes on governance, higher education and youth in Africa
