Unemployment and poverty are two intertwined problems.
One leads to the other.
It is a fact that underemployment leads to poor quality of life and later age economic and health struggles.
In Kenya, we have serious challenges with unemployment and underemployment.
This is part of why hustler politics is popular as people hope to be redeemed from unemployment, underemployment and poverty.
Observing the global life expectancies you can tell where poverty is prevalent.
A lot of crime, prostitution, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and the pull to illicit groups including terror organisations is largely related to unemployment, idleness, hopelessness and peer influence.
However, for us to overcome the mess of unemployment we, have a lot to do in industrialisation, tourism, efficient service sectors and so on.
From where we are at present it is a journey that will require a lot of inputs and time, so some quick fixes and wins are needed.
To win the war on unemployment, Kenyans should try emigration strategies.
At any rate, if you look at the foreign exchange earnings of Kenya, Diaspora inflows on monthly basis beat the country exports, top earners.
This tells that we need to pay a lot of attention to Diaspora groups as much as we should do other exports or other economic influencers as a country.
In a nutshell, emigration in search of opportunities is part of broad-based solutions to unemployment, underemployment and poverty in Kenya and numerous other countries.
Unemployment, underemployment, lack of adequate opportunities for self-improvement and growth and poverty is very dangerous phenomenon.
If you add the mess of retrenchments, business failures, and challenging economic times, it calls for broad-based solutions.
We need a strong department in a serious ministry or agency to support those who search for opportunities in other countries
That way we will all be able to contribute to the development of the country.
The writer is a political, economic, social analyst and commentator.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
