Degrees, debt and dead ends: Kenya’s graduates pressure

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For many university students, graduation is imagined as the beginning of stability; a degree, a job and eventually financial independence. But for a growing number of young Kenyans, life after university has become increasingly uncertain. With youth unemployment and underemployment remaining a major challenge in 2026, the gap between the classroom and the workplace has never felt wider.

From unpaid internships to delayed opportunities and jobs unrelated to their qualifications, many graduates say the transition from university into working life is becoming financially and emotionally exhausting.

Recent journalism graduate Gad Ouma says entering the job market has been far more difficult than he expected. “The challenge is that most places want two or three years of experience,” he says. “But as a student, how do you get that experience if no one is willing to employ you?”

Like many graduates, Ouma says he spent months applying for jobs and internships with little response from employers. Even securing an unpaid internship proved difficult. For three months, he worked without pay while covering his own transport and lunch expenses.

“The workload was still high, but I had to facilitate everything myself,” he says. “You start stressing about where transport money will come from the next day.”

Although the internship provided experience, Ouma says the constant financial strain affected his confidence and mental health. After graduating, he expected to become financially independent and support his mother, who had supported him throughout university. Instead, he says he still relies on her financially.

“You feel like a burden,” he says. “You feel like you should have figured things out by now.” Ouma says many of his friends are facing similar frustrations, with some considering jobs completely unrelated to their degrees simply to survive.

“I just want a chance to prove myself,” he says.

For some graduates, the challenge is not unemployment alone, but underemployment. Daisy Wanyama, who studied engineering, now works as a receptionist after struggling to secure opportunities in her field.

She says financial responsibilities forced her to take the job despite feeling disconnected from the career she trained for. “You reach a point where you just need money to survive,” she says. “A degree does not automatically translate into employment.”

While grateful to have an income, Daisy says working outside her field often leaves her feeling as though her skills and training are going unused. “People talk a lot about unemployment, but they forget underemployment,” she says.

Human resource consultant Esther Otieno says the growing disconnect between education and employment is being driven by economic pressures and increasing competition in the job market.

“Employers want someone who can adapt quickly with minimal training,” she says. “Unfortunately, that leaves many fresh graduates struggling to secure their first opportunity.”

According to Esther, limited internship and attachment opportunities have made it harder for students to gain practical experience before graduating, while the number of graduates entering the market continues to exceed available positions.

She adds that some companies have also reduced hiring due to rising operational costs and economic uncertainty, making the transition from university to employment even more difficult for young people.

Even before graduation, many university students say anxiety about the future has already begun shaping their daily lives.

Elhaan Sadam, a fourth-year university student relying on Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding, says financial uncertainty and difficulties securing attachment opportunities have made student life increasingly stressful.

Like many students approaching graduation, she says conversations around employment and financial stability have become increasingly common among her peers.

“It’s hard because everyone is competing for the same opportunities,” she says.

According to Elhaan, uncertainty surrounding employment after graduation has left many students anxious about the future long before they complete their studies. “There’s pressure to already have your life figured out before you even graduate,” she says.

Mental health professionals say these struggles are becoming increasingly visible among young adults seeking psychological support.

Clinical psychologist Salma Mohamud says many students and graduates are experiencing chronic stress, anxiety and hopelessness linked to academic pressure and unemployment.

“You find people constantly worrying about the future,” she says. “They feel like they studied for something and should be able to get jobs, but reality becomes very different.”

According to Salma, prolonged unemployment and financial instability are contributing to low self-esteem, social isolation and family conflict among many young adults.

She says some graduates begin withdrawing socially because they cannot afford to maintain the lifestyles they expected after university, while others struggle with feelings of shame and disappointment after moving back home.

Salma also notes that repeated job applications without feedback from employers can intensify self-doubt and frustration among graduates trying to establish themselves.

As Kenya continues to grapple with high youth unemployment and rising living costs, many graduates say the pressure extends beyond simply finding work. For some, it is about delayed independence, financial strain and the growing fear that education may no longer guarantee stability.

For now, many young people say they are simply trying to adapt to an increasingly uncertain future, one application, internship and side hustle at a time.