Salasya reveals strategy to end youth joblessness

Mumias East MP Peter Salasya has claimed that the country’s longstanding crisis of youth unemployment is easy to tackle, arguing that poor government prioritisation and a failure to support private sector innovation have made the situation worse than it actually is.

Salasya, who was speaking in a video shared on his X account on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, dismissed the notion that creating jobs for the youth is a complicated affair.

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He said that the government only needs to empower the right sectors and create an environment that allows Kenyans to thrive based on their strengths, skills, and passions.

“Matters of youth lacking employment are very easy to solve. You know, in Kenya, when you become president, I cannot assign people to construction jobs. Because you cannot give a construction job to someone who is educated. People should work according to their abilities and passion. I cannot force someone with a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree to go into construction,” he said.

He argued that the government must stop monopolising initiatives like housing and instead support existing real estate companies already in operation.

Salasya said that the push for affordable housing by the state is misplaced since real estate agencies already exist and have been delivering housing across the country for years.

“There are many real estate agencies that have been doing this work, and many still exist. What we need to do is empower them and create platforms where they can continue providing houses affordably and help more Kenyans become homeowners,” he noted.

Salasya also weighed in on the taxation of digital workers, saying that the government should stop targeting young people earning online and instead incentivise global companies to bring their digital platforms into the Kenyan market.

“You also do not need to tax Kenyans who work online. You do not need to. You need to attract many people to bring their online services here in Kenya,” he said.

Manufacturing sector

Turning to the manufacturing sector, Salasya called on the government to investigate why several companies have left Kenya in the past decade, relocating to other countries.

He said that understanding these factors could help attract foreign investors and rebuild the country’s lost industrial base.

“In manufacturing, we need to ask ourselves what made the companies that had come to Kenya migrate and move to other countries—and what can we do to bring them back,” he stated.

He also called for reforms in the public service sector, urging the government to allow workers to enjoy their pay without excessive deductions or burdens, and promised to respect the independence of key institutions if he ascended to the presidency.

“People need time to enjoy their pay slips. And definitely, if I want to enjoy the presidency, I will let Parliament do its work, the Judiciary its work, and the Executive too,” he concluded.