EMPLOYMENT FOR THE YOUTH? TELL IT TO THE BIRDS

'You would never believe this, but it has come to the attention of the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) that some crooks are purporting to offer higher education......those crooks are ‘purporting’ because to offer power to read in these parts, one must be registered by the aforementioned commission. For obvious reasons, the crooks haven’t bothered to seek registration with CHE because their facilities are either crappy or non-existent or their tutors are illiterate quacks with forged papers – or both.....

 

....And you know what the commission wants you to do? Check their website! But what if you discover – after checking their website – that you’ve been studying at an institution of ‘advanced technology’ whose technology is limited to the Chinese pocket radio on the Principal’s desk?'  (Edward Indakwa, The Standard columnist)

When I read this peace of literature in one of the local dailies I couldn't believe my eyes. Here is a problem affecting hundreds of thousands of Kenyans. Higher education has been infiltrated by crooks who are milking cash out of unsuspecting Kenyans in broad daylight! The commission for Higher education(CHE) is evidently helpless and no single politician, especially presidential hopefuls, has come forward to talk about the issue. 

Whats even more painful is that Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Uhuru Kenyatta, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Martha Karua, Charity Ngilu, Eugene Wamalwa and the rest have all claimed to solve the problems of the youth. The biggest problem affecting the youth that these presidential hopeful have claimed to solve once they accede to the presidency is unemployment. Yet no meaningful employment can be secured without quality education. What kind of employment do these politicians claim they will offer the youth? What forms of opportunities are available to poorly trained people?

 Kenyans are not stupid. They are hungry for education because they have realized its importance. And the biggest percentage of Kenyans in colleges and universities are the youth. They are flocking colleges and university in search of this invaluable commodity.  That is why these crooks are having a field day. Therefore, it is very unfortunate for an institution like the CHE to make a helpless appeal for Kenyans to simply avoid education institutions that are not its good books. 

Something also tells me that either these politicians have lost touch with the problems affecting their electorate or this is part of a big conspiracy. Did I forget to mention that the children of most of this politicians are not schooled in this country? Let me tell you something all you politicians in Kenya. I don't care whether or not you are leading in the latest opinion polls. Neither do I give a damn whether you are the King of this or that tribe. If you don't have a plan on how you are going to sort this mess out, you ain't getting my vote.

I want to vote for a presidential hopeful who is ready ready to offer me an opportunity to compete internationally by ensuring that I get quality education. Don't promise me a job because I can look for it all by myself, if and only if I get quality education.