Unemployment didn’t start with me, but I’m fixing it – Ruto

President William Ruto has dismissed claims that youth unemployment began with his administration, arguing that the issue has persisted for decades due to a lack of structured government intervention.

“Unemployment did not start with the administration of William Ruto. The problem exists because we’ve never had a proper plan or structured government strategy like the one I’ve put in place. That’s why we’ve had such a serious backlog of joblessness,” said the President.

“There are people trying to mislead us into believing that all young people had jobs before Ruto became President. Are you telling me everyone was employed before I took office? Did unemployment start with my presidency?” he questioned. “This is a long-standing problem.”

He made the remarks during an inspection tour of the ongoing construction of the 542-unit Kilimani Police Housing Project in Nairobi, accompanied by Lands and Housing Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome.

“Let us not deceive ourselves and let us not incite the young people of Kenya on matters of unemployment. It cannot be sorted out in one day. It was never sorted out by previous administrations. I am working on it now,” Ruto stated.

He emphasized that for young people to find employment, there must be a clear plan, insisting that jobs cannot be obtained through chaos, property destruction, or disturbing the peace. He noted that his administrationhas established proper structures to create opportunities for them.

Ruto claimed that recent protests are politically motivated efforts by individuals seeking to exploit the frustrations of unemployed youth for their selfish gain.

“There are leaders who incite youth to destroy property under the guise of unemployment. But let’s be honest — does burning a supermarket create jobs?”

He outlined the measures his administration has taken to tackle joblessness, citing the employment of over 320,000 youth in the Affordable Housing Programme, 400,000 in overseas jobs, and nearly 200,000 in digital work as evidence of tangible progress.

“We now have a plan that ensures Kenyan youth — engineers, surveyors, plumbers, technicians, masons — are working. That’s the structured approach we’ve lacked for years.”

The President called on young people to resist manipulation and instead seize emerging opportunities.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome echoed his sentiments, stating: “We must reject the spirit of destruction and violence. Young people must refuse to be misused.”

Ruto says the Kilimani Police Housing Project, like similar projects across the country, is part of broader government efforts to improve the living conditions of law enforcement officers while stimulating employment and economic growth through infrastructure development.