(FEATURE)DAGHY’S BOLD PLAN TO TACKLE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN LAIKIPIA EAST: FROM JOB SEEKERS TO JOB CREATORS

By CivicLens News | 22 May 2026

Youth unemployment remains one of the most urgent challenges facing Laikipia East today. Across villages, trading centres, and urban settlements, thousands of young people wake up each morning with dreams, skills, and ambitions, yet many struggle to find meaningful opportunities that can transform their lives.

For years, unemployment has been linked to rising poverty, increased dependency, substance abuse, crime, and growing frustration among young people who feel excluded from economic progress. While many leaders have spoken about the issue, few have presented detailed strategies aimed at creating sustainable employment opportunities.

It is against this backdrop that Laikipia East parliamentary aspirant Douglas Mwangi, popularly known as DAGHY, has outlined what he describes as a practical and people-centred blueprint designed to reduce youth unemployment and unlock the economic potential of young people across the constituency.

According to DAGHY, the future of Laikipia East cannot be built solely through political promises. Instead, it requires deliberate investments in skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic empowerment.

"Our youth are not a problem to be managed; they are a resource to be developed."

THE GROWING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT CHALLENGE

Laikipia East is home to thousands of energetic and educated young people. Every year, secondary schools, colleges, technical institutions, and universities release graduates into the labour market. Unfortunately, available opportunities have not grown at the same pace.

Many young people find themselves trapped in casual employment, seasonal labour, low-income businesses, or prolonged periods of job searching. Others possess academic qualifications but lack access to capital, mentorship, professional networks, or practical experience required by employers.

The result is a generation with enormous potential but limited opportunities to realize it.

Economic experts argue that addressing youth unemployment requires more than simply creating jobs. It demands building systems that enable young people to develop skills, access resources, create enterprises, and participate meaningfully in economic growth.

DAGHY believes this is where leadership must make a difference.

BUILDING SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY

One of the central pillars of DAGHY's proposed agenda is investment in skills development.

The modern economy is changing rapidly. Traditional employment opportunities continue to evolve while new sectors emerge in technology, digital services, innovation, agribusiness, and entrepreneurship.

To prepare young people for these opportunities, DAGHY advocates for stronger support for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, digital learning centres, and innovation hubs.

His vision includes creating accessible training opportunities that equip youth with practical skills that can lead directly to employment or self-employment.

Rather than focusing solely on certificates, the emphasis would be on competencies that employers and industries actively seek.

This approach aligns with global trends showing that practical skills and technical expertise increasingly determine employability in competitive labour markets.

ATTRACTING INVESTMENT AND EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES

Economic development experts consistently point to investment attraction as one of the most effective ways to create employment.

Laikipia East possesses several advantages that position it for growth. These include a strategic location, a vibrant agricultural sector, tourism potential, a growing urban population, and expanding infrastructure.

DAGHY argues that leadership should actively market the constituency as an attractive destination for investors.

His vision involves promoting partnerships that could encourage the establishment of agro-processing facilities, manufacturing enterprises, technology firms, logistics businesses, and value-addition industries.

Such investments have the potential to create direct jobs while also generating indirect opportunities for suppliers, transport providers, retailers, and service businesses.

For many young people, this could mean access to employment opportunities closer to home rather than migrating to major cities in search of work.

SUPPORTING YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

While employment remains important, entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as a critical driver of economic growth.

Across Kenya, small and medium-sized enterprises account for a significant share of job creation. Yet many young entrepreneurs struggle to access financing, mentorship, training, and markets.

DAGHY's proposed strategy places significant emphasis on supporting youth-led enterprises.

The plan includes improving awareness of available funding opportunities, strengthening business incubation initiatives, and creating platforms where young entrepreneurs can receive guidance and support.

By empowering youth to start and grow businesses, the objective is not only to create self-employment but also to encourage the emergence of enterprises capable of employing others.

This shift from job seeking to job creation could have a transformative impact on the local economy.

CONNECTING EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT

One of the challenges frequently highlighted by employers is the gap between education and workplace readiness.

Many graduates possess academic qualifications but lack practical experience.

To address this issue, DAGHY supports stronger collaboration between educational institutions, businesses, and government agencies.

The goal would be to expand internship opportunities, apprenticeship programmes, industrial attachments, and mentorship initiatives that help young people gain real-world experience.

Such programmes can improve employability while enabling employers to identify and nurture future talent.

For youth entering the labour market, this pathway could significantly reduce barriers to employment.

HARNESSING THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

Technology continues to reshape economies around the world.

Remote work, freelancing, digital marketing, content creation, software development, graphic design, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce have created opportunities that did not exist a decade ago.

Recognizing these trends, DAGHY has emphasized the importance of preparing Laikipia East youth for participation in the digital economy.

His vision includes promoting digital literacy, supporting ICT training programmes, expanding internet access initiatives, and encouraging innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

For many young people, the digital economy offers opportunities that are not limited by geography.

A skilled freelancer in Laikipia East can potentially work with clients from Nairobi, London, New York, or Dubai without leaving home.

This represents a powerful avenue for economic inclusion and income generation.

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF AGRIBUSINESS

Agriculture remains one of the most important economic sectors in Laikipia East.

However, experts increasingly emphasize that the greatest opportunities lie not only in production but also in value addition.

DAGHY's proposed agenda highlights agribusiness as a major source of future employment.

By promoting processing, packaging, branding, storage, and market access, young people can participate in higher-value segments of agricultural value chains.

This approach has the potential to increase incomes while creating employment opportunities across production, transportation, processing, and distribution.

In a constituency with strong agricultural foundations, agribusiness could become a major engine of youth empowerment.

CREATING A CULTURE OF OPPORTUNITY

Beyond specific programmes and projects, DAGHY believes that leadership must help create an environment where opportunity thrives.

This includes encouraging innovation, supporting talent development, promoting transparency, and ensuring that young people have a voice in decision-making processes.

A culture that values initiative, entrepreneurship, and creativity can inspire a new generation of leaders, innovators, and business owners.

For many residents, the conversation about youth unemployment is ultimately about hope.

It is about ensuring that young people believe their future can be brighter than their present circumstances.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

As the 2027 political landscape begins to take shape, youth issues are expected to play a central role in public debate.

Across Laikipia East, many residents are increasingly evaluating leaders based not only on promises but also on their ability to articulate practical solutions to pressing challenges.

DAGHY's proposed blueprint reflects a broader vision centred on economic empowerment, skills development, investment attraction, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Supporters argue that such an approach could help transform Laikipia East into a constituency where young people are equipped not merely to seek jobs but to create opportunities for themselves and others.

Whether through skills training, business development, digital innovation, agribusiness expansion, or investment attraction, the underlying objective remains the same: building pathways to economic independence and prosperity.

For many families across Laikipia East, the stakes could not be higher.

The future of the constituency may well depend on how effectively its leaders address the aspirations, talents, and potential of its young people.

As conversations continue across villages, markets, schools, and community gatherings, one question remains at the centre of public discussion:

Can Laikipia East unlock the power of its youth and transform unemployment into opportunity?

Only time will tell, but for many young people, the search for answers has already begun.

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