EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AMONG

THE YOUTH IN NYANDO SUB-COUNTY, KENYA.

(A Study of Ahero Ward, Awasi Ward, Kenya)

SWK 411:

RESEARCH PROJECT

BY

OMONDI STEPHENE

SW/064/14

A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

IN MOI UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT OF
BACHOLAR OF ARTS [SOCIAL WORK].

MAY, 2018
 DECLARATION

I Omondi Stephene hereby declare to the best of my knowledge that this work is original and it
has never been submitted to any institution for the award of any academic paper or degree.

Candidate's Name: Omondi Stephene

REG. NO: SW/64/14

Signature………………………… Date……………………………….

APPROVAL

This is to certify that this research proposal has been submitted for examination with my full ap-
proval as university supervisor.

Supervisor's Name: Dr. KIMORI

Signature………………………….. Date………………………………...

i
 DEDICATION

I dedicate this research proposal to my two younger brothers John Owino and John Otieno to al-
ways work hard to better their lives.

I am also dedicating this work to my enter course mate for the struggle they undergo for five
years in Moi University and to always work together in this field of practice to better people’s
lives.

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to convey my sincere thanks and gratitude to all those who supported me in any respect
towards the success of this project. Particular thanks go to my supervisor Dr. KIMORI for his
invaluable pieces of advice that helped in the planning and implementation of the project.

I am grateful to my fellow students and colleagues. In particular, I would like to thank ESTHER
AKINYI, and my two research assistants, TRIZAH BODI and ABONYO KOGALO.

I thank all the respondents in the research and in particular the parents, youth and administration
in Nyando sub-county for their support and cooperation during data collection.

Many thanks go to my family members for their moral support and understanding during my re-
search work.

Finally, I give glory to God for enabling me to complete the study.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION....................................................................................................i

DEDICATION........................................................................................................ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.................................................................................... iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... iv

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS.............................................................vii

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES....................................................................viii

ABSTRACT............................................................................................................ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION....................................................................1

1.1 Background........................................................................................................ 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem................................................................................... 2

1.3 Research Questions.............................................................................................4

1.4 Objectives of the Study....................................................................................... 4

1.5 Scope of the Study ..............................................................................................5

1.6 Significance of the Study.....................................................................................5

1.7 Organization of the Paper.................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER TWO.....................................................................................................7

LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................... 7

2.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................7

2.2 The Concept of Unemployment.......................................................................... 7

2.2.1 Types of Unemployment ........................................................................... 7

2.2.2 Causes of Youth Unemployment ...............................................................8

2.2.3 Socio-Economic Effects of youth Unemployment......................................9

2.3 Theoretical Framework of Literature Review....................................................11

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 2.3.1Market Liberal Theory...............................................................................11

2.3.2 The Marxist Theory of Unemployment....................................................11

2.3.3 Anomie Strain Theory ..............................................................................12

2.4 Overview of Literature ....................................................................................13

CHAPTER THREE.............................................................................................14

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................... 14

3.1 Introduction......................................................................................................14

3.2 Research Design..............................................................................................14

3.3 Research Site...................................................................................................14

3.4 Target population ………………………………………...............................14

3.5 Sampling Design and Procedure…………………………………….……....15

3.6. Model Specialization and Conceptual Framework…..……………...……...15

3.6.1 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................15

3.6.2 Variables and Conceptualization…...........................................................15

3.6.3 Hypothesis ………………………………………………………............16

3.6.4 Descriptive Statistics .................................................................................16

3.6.5 Progressive analysis ..................................................................................17

CHAPTER FOUR..............................................................................................18

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS..................................................................... 18

4.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................18

4.2 Analysis of the Response Rate ......................................................................18

4.3 The Decision Rule in Testing..........................................................................19

4.4 Discussion of the results ................................................................................27

4.5Limitations of the Study..................................................................................28

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CHAPTER FIVE ...............................................................................................29

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................29

5.1 Introduction...................................................................................................29

5.2 Summary of the Funding ...............................................................................29

5.3 Conclusions....................................................................................................29

5.4 Recommendations..........................................................................................30

5.5 Area for further Study....................................................................................30

REFERENCES..................................................................................................31

APPENDICES……………………………………………………….………..32

vi
 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONOMES

AYT African Youth Trust

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GOK Government of Kenya

ILO International Labor Organization

KNBS Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

NYP National Youth Policy

UN United Nations

WHO World Health Organization

vii
 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 3.1: Variable and Conceptualizations ..............................................................15

Table 3.2: Scale of Measurement………....................................................................16

Table 4.1 Sex composition of the respondent.............................................................18

Table 4.2 Age distribution of the respodent............................................................... 18

Table 4.3 Marital states of the respondent…………..................................................18

Table 4.4: Educational level of the respondent ..........................................................19

Table 4.5: The Analysis of (Question 7)...........................................................…......19

Table 4.6: Observed and expected frequency for (Hypothesis i).................................20

Table 4.7: The analysis of (Question 10)....................................................................21

Table 4.8: Observed and expected frequency (Hypothesis ii).........………................22

Table 4.9: The analysis of (Question 8) .....................................................................23

Table 4.10: Observed and expected frequency (Hypothesis iii).................................24

Table 4.11: Analysis of (Question 11)………….......................................................25

Table 4.12: Observed and expected frequency (Hypothesis iv) ................................26

viii
 ABSTRACT

The youth, who form a critical mass of the Kenyan population, are unemployed. Efforts have
been made to alleviate the problem of youth unemployment in Kenya. However, these strategies
and efforts have come under intense scrutiny in the recent years with the ever rising unemploy-
ment rates. Youth unemployment is on the rise in Nyando sub-county as it poses huge economic
challenges and it leads to unsustainable growth of the economy. The aim of this research is to
investigate the effects of youth unemployment and how it affects the socio-economic develop-
ment.

The study shows that youth unemployment greatly affects their contribution to the country's
gross domestic product (GDP). Other factors believed to influence the socio-economic develop-
ment of individual are education level, age, gender, place of residence were statistically signifi-
cant. Political instability is also significant as it affects the employment levels.

During the research proper, the study population was segmented into strata to represent the vari-
ous sub-groups in the population for example Kakola location, Kochogo location, Tura location
within Ahero town. A sample for the study was randomly drawn from the study population. Data
was collected through the use of questionnaire and interviews.

From the research findings, it is clear that the problem of unemployment and especially among
the urban youth has grown to grotesque proportions. The existing strategies have not been effec-
tive enough to combat youth unemployment. The policy deficiencies are aggravated by the gen-
eral lack of skills and job apathy among the youths, and the general decline in the national eco-
nomic growth.

The research suggests ways through which the existing strategies, and specifically the National
Youth Policy and the Poverty Eradication Plan, can be enhanced and be effectively implemented
to create adequate job opportunities for the youth.

ix
 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Unemployment is a situation where people are without work and actively looking for job (ILO,
2010). Sub-Sahara Africa has fastest growing youthful population in the world. Over 20 percent
of its population is between 15 to 24 years. According to the ILO youth make 36 percent of the
total working-age population and three out of five of Africa's unemployed are young people
(ILO, 2010),. It is estimated that the youth age between 15 and 25 years make up more than 60
percentage of the total population in Africa and 45 per cent in the labour force are youth. Youth
as the proportion of the total population was estimated to be over 75 per cent by 2015, and this is
as a result of high fertility rate and demographic momentum. It is expected that the increase in
youth population would not decrease before 20 years or more.

Unemployment is a severe problems prevailing in developing as well as developed countries.

Those problems have affect not only on the living standards of the people and socio-economic
status of the nation but also increasing the magnitude of corruption affecting the people( Lew-
is;1999;Asghar,2002;Blakely et al,2003).Unemployment has negative effects on the physical
well-being of the suffering peoples.

Individual well-being(or happiness)depends on many things, including income , labour market

status, job characteristics ,health ,leisure ,family ,social relationships ,security liberty ,moral val-
ues and many others .Although unemployed workers usually suffer reduction of income ,its ex-
tent varies depending on the other income sources ,such as savings and income-generating assets
holdings, unemployment insurance and private transfers .Non-pecuniary consequences such as
the lost identify and self-esteem, stress and depression also depend on the individual ,family
and social circumstances surrounding unemployed workers on the other hand, unemployed
workers gain time for activity such as leisure ,training ,physical exercise and domestic activi-
ties(Ahn et al 2004),therefore in evaluating the effect of unemployment individual well-being
,we should consider all the relevant factors as well.

The youth form 60% of the total labour force in Kenya, according to the Kenya National Youth
Policy draft 2006. However, the majority of them have not been absorbed into the job market due
to the country’s high unemployment level. Statistics from the Ministry of youth indicate that
about 60% of all those who are unemployed are those below the age of 30 years and 45% are be-
low 24 years (Ministry of Youth, Report, 2006); hence unemployment in Kenya is majorly a
youth problem. The levels of unemployment and more so youth unemployment were highest in
Kenya during the 1990s when the country begun to implement structural adjustment programs
(Kenya, 2004). Implementation of the programs was a pre-condition for governments in the de-
veloping world to get financial assistance from the Breton Woods institutions (the World Bank
and the International Monetary Fund). The implementation resulted in massive loss of jobs in the

1
public sector through retrenchment program.(The KDPPRA discussion paper No. 31 (2004)
identifies various predisposing situations for youth unemployment such as the high population
growth; unclear and uncoordinated youth policies and programs in various government minis-
tries and youth organizations; and lack of national definition of ‘youth’.

The World Bank Research Programmer report on World Development (2005-2007) identified
various factors that have aggravated the problem of unemployment in the developing world.
Employment policies in most companies requiring several years of work experience are a hin-
drance. This has been a major hurdle to school-leavers since the curriculum being offered does
not offer much practical and entrepreneurial skill to the school leavers at the Secondary school
level.

The World Bank report further notes that attitude is another factor causing unemployment among
the youth. First, there is a cross-section of the society that believes that the youth are incapable of
handling certain responsibilities. Some of the youth have a negative attitude towards certain jobs.
The clamor for white-collar jobs (the white-collar-job syndrome) has taken a toll on them. They
have not adapted to a saying that “the best education is that which trains the Head, Heart and
Hand: (Youth Opinion, August/September 2003).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Youth unemployment is one of the macroeconomic problems facing Sub-Saharan Africa, accord-
ing to international labor organization (ILO, 2010). It is a major concern in Kenya as it poses
numerous challenges to the country's economic growth (African Economic Outlook, 2012).

According to studies conducted in other countries such as Somalia, Uganda, USA, South Africa,
Kenya, EU, South East Asia the impacts of youth unemployment include; loss of income, loss of
government revenue (tax), increased dependence, increased divorce, social isolation, high crime
rate, family tension, erosion of self confidence and self-esteem, mental depression, drug abuse,
homelessness, poverty, early school dropout, Alcoholism, rural-urban migration and ill health
among others.

According to a survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), seven million Ken-
yans are unemployed. Out of these, 1.4 million have been desperately looking for work. The rest
have given up on job hunting, with some opting to go back for further studies.

The survey, released, paints a grim picture of the country’s unemployment levels, while shatter-
ing the 40 per cent unemployment rate myth. According to the survey, up to 19.5 million Ken-
yans are active in the labour force, majority of them in low-cadre, poor-paying jobs.

Still, this puts Kenya’s unemployment rate at 7.4 per cent, a significant departure from a high of
40 per cent that has been bandied around in 2016; there were about 25 million Kenyans in the

2
working-age bracket of between 15 and 64 years. Out of these, 78 per cent were economically
active. Over half of the country’s working-age population has primary school level of education.
The working-age population is expected to increase to 28.5 million by 2020. About 4.2 million
working-age Kenyans were either in college or secondary school, and not active in rolling the
wheel of the economy.

The report shows that 5.6 million working-age Kenyans were economically inactive. “The main
two reasons of inactivity were school attendance and family responsibilities, accounting for 73.8
per cent and 13.1 per cent respectively,” read the report. “Considering the prime age of 25 to 54
years, family responsibility and sickness or injury were the two main reasons for inactivity,” it
added.

The new survey also paints a grim picture of growing youth unemployment, with a huge chunk
of the population aged between 20 and 24 years not engaged in any work or business. Nine in
every 10 unemployed Kenyans are 35 years and below. “The largest unemployment rate was
recorded in the age cohort 20–24 at 19.2 per cent,”

Youth unemployment has been described as a ticking bomb, with frustrated young men and
women susceptible to drugs, prostitution, or even being lured into terrorism. President Uhuru
Kenyatta is banking on the manufacturing sector for job-creation. The sector is one of the pillars
of Uhuru’s Big Four agenda. The other pillars are universal healthcare, food security, and low-
cost housing. However, a poor economy has seen companies shed jobs in the past five years even
as the economy has averaged a growth of five per cent. Since January 2016, more than 20 com-
panies have either folded and shipped out or simply downsized, leaving thousands jobless.

The situation worsened last year when the economy slowed down due to an extended election-
eering period, reduced credit uptake by the private sector, and a crippling drought. The 2015/16
Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey showed that even for the many Kenyans who were
employed, their skills were not fully being utilized, with graduates increasingly taking jobs that
could easily be done by Form Four leavers. The survey indicated that 3.7 million or 20.4 per cent
of the employed persons in the working-age population were under-employed, meaning they
were available to work for more hours but were not given the opportunity. Those mostly under-
employed were aged between 15 and 19 years. Their under-employment rate stood at 55.4 per
cent.

It is instructive to note that, most of the youth, who form a critical mass of the Kenyan popula-
tion, are unemployed. The result has been a general rise in crime and violence especially among
the urban youth. To help alleviate the problem of unemployment, a number of strategies and pol-
icy measures have been put in place, both at the government level and at the private sector and
civil society levels. The government efforts to solve the problem of youth unemployment coa-
lesce around the following two key initiatives:

3
  The establishment of the National Youth policy
 The National Poverty eradication strategies

The National Youth Policy was established to address issues affecting young people by provid-
ing broad framework within which all stakeholders, including the private, public sector and the
civil society, can contribute to youth development.

One of the specific targets of the poverty Eradication Plan is the reduction of the materially poor
in the total population by 20% by 2004, and by a further 30% by 2010. Urban youth unemploy-
ment is among the key aspects mitigating factors to urban poverty. The government has also
partnered with the private sector to provide opportunities for the youth to develop themselves.

However, these strategies and efforts have come under intense scrutiny in the recent years with
the ever rising unemployment rates. As stated earlier in this report, there has been an increase in
unemployment despite implementation of the poverty eradication and youth policies. This re-
search therefore set to critically examine the existing strategies and efforts to alleviate unem-
ployment among the urban youth with the view to make recommendations on how best the strat-
egies can be implemented. The research also aimed to suggest other viable strategies to help re-
duce the unemployment problem.

Specifically, the research focused on the implementation of the National Youth Policy provision
on youth employment and the Poverty eradication strategy policy, with a bias on alleviating the
problem of urban youth unemployment.

1.3 Research Questions

The study seeks to answer the following research questions.

i. What is the effect of youth unemployment on socio-economic development in Nyando sub-

county?

ii. What other factors affect socio-economic development in Nyando sub-county?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The general objective is to examine the effects of youth unemployment in Nyando sub-county
and the specific objectives are:

i. To find out the effect of youth unemployment on socio economic status in Nyando sub-county.

ii. To investigate the effect of other factors on socio economic status in Nyando sub-county.

iii. To draw conclusions and provide policy recommendations on the findings of this research.

4
1.5 Scope of the Study

The study will look into the population about the perceptions of youth unemployment status, un-
derstands the extents and nature of youth unemployment, how to reduced youth unemployment,
major factors contributing to youth unemployment, the impacts of youth unemployment on so-
cio-economic development of individual and provides a platform for policy makers on in-depth
analysis in order to conform with projects and programs designed to eradicate youth unemploy-
ment.

Nyando sub-county is chosen because of the alarming rates of youth unemployment in the recent
years, lacks of effort from the central government's programs and projects that will create jobs
for the increasing youthful population in the city. The study will focus on the impacts of youth
unemployment in Nyando sub-county. The conclusions shall be used to generalize the impacts of
youth unemployment in Kisumu county (Nyando sub-county) Kenya in general.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The analytical studies on youth unemployment and its impact in Kenya at states level will pro-
vide policymakers, government agencies, private sector and development partners' with infor-
mation about the social-economic and political costs of youth unemployment in order to improve
the current situation for the youth, create jobs and inclusive opportunities in the labor market.

Analyzing the impacts of youth unemployment is crucial for curbing it in Kenya where there is a
very small number of the population participating in the labor market and particularly Nyando
Sub-county where there is a growing concern of increased number of young job seekers.

The study will contribute to the understanding of unemployment from academic perspective par-
ticularly the effects of youth unemployment on socio-economic development and it will helps the
policymakers' in the quest for desirable policies targeting states as unemployment is concern.

In addition, the study will contribute to the available literature and it will acts as the advocacy for
the unemployed in Nyando sub-county. Finally, the findings and conclusions' for this study can
be used as the basis for further research on the area of unemployment.

The study was focusing on the impacts of youth unemployment in the Republic of Kenya with
the case study of Nyando sub-county (Kisumu County). It will contribute to the existing litera-
ture on unemployment in Kenya and give the stakeholders both the public and private sector in-
formation on the effects this vice have on their activities so as to plan on how to deal with its
pressure.

5
1.7 Organization of the Paper

This research proposal is organized into five chapters. Chapter one deals with background of the
study, problem's statement, research questions, and objectives of the study, scope of the study,
significance of the study and organization of the paper.

The second chapter looks at the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to the objectives of
the study and it's concludes with the overview of the literature; the third chapter deals with the
methodology used in the study, chapter four looks at the discussion of the results and findings,
while chapter five gives the summary, conclusions and recommendation.

6
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2. 1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents previous works that were done by various scholars, authors, researchers
and expertise in the area of study. The objective here is to explore the perceptions, discourse and
notions as unemployment is concerned, basically on youth.

The first section of this chapter discusses the concept, types, causes and the socio-economic ef-
fects of youth unemployment. The second section will discuss the theoretical framework litera-
ture on the impacts of youth unemployment, its effects on earnings and the last section will look
at the general overview of the empirical literature

2.2 THE CONCEPT OF UNEMPLOYMENT

The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines the unemployed as numbers of the econom-
ically active population who are willing and seeking for work, without work being available, in-
cluding people who have lost their jobs and those who have voluntarily left work (World Bank,
1998).

Fajana (2000) says, unemployment refers to a situation where people who are willing and capa-
ble of working are unable to find suitable paid employment. It is one of the macro-economic
problems which every responsible government is expected to monitor and regulate. The higher
the unemployment rate in an economy the higher would be the poverty level and associated wel-
fare challenges.

2.2.1 Types of Unemployment

Frictional Unemployment; It occurs when changing demand patterns in an economy dislocate

existing production patterns to the extent that labor becomes redundant. Due to change in de-
mand for goods and services, specialized workers cannot easily move to new work. Similarly,
due to changes in the technique of production the skill of certain workers may be made obsolete.
As a result there is unemployment in an industry (in which demand has declined) and shortage of
labor in another industry (in which demand has increased).

Structural Unemployment; This type of unemployment arises through a change in demand

which switches production from one kind of work to another; it differs from frictional unem-
ployment in that it occurs through permanent or long-term changes in the structure of the econ-
omy. In other words, structural unemployment is long-term unemployment caused by the decline
of certain industries and changes in production process.

7
Cyclical Unemployment; this type of unemployment arises from the business cycle. Keynes
was mainly concerned with this type of unemployment. Such unemployment occurs due to defi-
ciency of demand or purchasing power and is also called demand-deficient unemployment. Since
this type of unemployment is caused by a general deficiency of demand, it affects all industries
at the same time. Since this type of unemployment is due to downturn in economic activity, it
can, therefore, be expected to occur and disappear at fairly regular intervals.

Seasonal Unemployment; this type of unemployment occurs due to seasonal pattern of demand
and the consequent seasonal nature of activities in some industries. In some industries like enter-
tainment, tourism and soft drink, the demand for goods and services fluctuates seasonally. As a
result these industries are fully staffed in the peak season but many workers are laid off in the
off-season.

Disguised Unemployment; the concept of disguised unemployment (D.U., in short) was intro-
duced by Mrs. Joan Robinson in 1934. It is a type of unemployment which prevails in LDCs like
India, due to population growth, shortage of land and the existence of certain social institutions
like the joint family system. All the members of the peasant family work on the same family
arm. The newcomer, whether he is a distant relation or a new -born child, will ultimately start
working on the same farm with other members of the family.

2.2.2 CAUSES OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

There are many causes of youth unemployment in the world, and in Nyando sub-county such as:-

Poor educational planning; It is a widely held view that high rate of unemployment among our
graduates is traceable to our educational system. Kenyan educational system does not equip our
graduates with adequate skills and tools for societal needs. They also contended that our educa-
tional system is faulty because it does not prepare the graduates for self-employment. In the view
of Gbosi (2005), “the nature of unemployment is as a result of lack of proper skill expansion in
our educational institutions, faulty curricular and orientation. The government is also blamed for
the wrong orientation of students and poor salary structure in the public sector that has no special
incentives for those who possess such skills”. Hence, our educational system is liberal arts-
biased; so that young school leavers apparently could not find jobs.

Wrong Impression about Technical and Vocational Studies; the wrong impression of stu-
dents about the place of technical and vocational education also accounts for the deteriorating

8
state of unemployment in Kenya. There is an enduring societal biased attitude against technical
and vocational education (Damachi, 2001).

The Neglect of the Agricultural Sector; the agricultural sector has been the leading provider of
employment in Kenya especially in the sixties and in the seventies when the sector provided em-
ployment for more than 60 percent of the Kenyan population. However, in the wake of youth
want quick money, agriculture was abandoned resulting in unemployment.

Poor Enabling Environment; The poor economic enabling environment that characterizes the
economy over the years has continued to pose serious challenges to employment generation in
Kenya. Many job seekers who would have embarked on self-employment programs are unable to
do so because of the hostile production environment and lack of conducive investment environ-
ment, (Abdullah, 1999).

Unstable Political Environment; A stable political environment usually enhances macroeco-

nomic stability. Today, African countries are characterized by military coups, inter-tribal war-
fare, border disputes and complete breakdown of law and order. Political instability doesn’t at-
tract foreign investment, (Abdullah, 1999). The inflow of foreign resources has facilitated the
expansion of Kenyan’s industrial activity thereby making the sector to contribute significantly to
the Gross Domestic Production (GDP). Kenya has been relatively unstable politically.

High Population Growth ;Population growth has continued to experience high growth due to
high birth rate resulting in rapid growth of labour which outstripped the supply of jobs (Nweke,
2002). Also, improvement in healthcare delivery has reduced infant mortality rate with increased
population growth.

Massive Rural – Urban migration by the Young People; According to the UN Report (1999),
the high degree of geographical mobility of youth in Africa in the form of rural to urban migra-
tion has been influencing youth unemployment.

2.2.3 SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

According to Blanch flower and Freeman (1999), the lack of job prospects and the likelihood of
a desolate future for unemployed youths have contributed to socially deviant behavior such as
prostitution, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, drugs, political thuggery and so on. Crime
and violence have been increasing in many parts of Nigeria among unemployed young people.

9
Youth gangsters are viewed as substitute to families, typically satisfying the economic and social
needs of unemployed young people through violence.

According to UN-Habitat (2004b), many young people entered the criminal world at a very
young age and end up becoming victims of crime themselves; become criminals as a result of the
frustration and helplessness and do anything in order to live and even indulged in killings and
robberies, leading to “suicides” among the unemployed youths.

Impact on Society; Youths are the most active and productive members of the society, and if
the majority of them are unemployed then it will negatively affect the society and its other mem-
bers by way of “kidnapping businessmen etc. for ransom” Abudah, (2004).

Impact on the Economy; Unemployed youths are also considered as a burden to the economy,
as they contribute nothing and consume the produce. On the other hand, families with unem-
ployed youths and no source of income generation, as in the case of rural areas, face many eco-
nomic challenges such as unavailability of health, education and water facilities. Asobie, (2004).

Unemployment and Personal Well – being; Unemployment in Kenya has a very serious nega-
tive effect on the personal well-being of the unemployed. In cross sectional regressions, there is
clear evidence that unemployment is associated with lower levels of psychological well-being
(Machin and Manning, 1998).

Unemployment and Social Crimes; Unemployment accounts for most of the social crimes per-
petrated by youths in the Kenyan society today. The accelerating level of prostitution, armed
robbery, rape and all facets of violence can largely be attributed to the incidence of unemploy-
ment. According to Guneen (2002), “crime is directly connected to high rates of youth unem-
ployment. Kenya becoming more urbanized has increase proportion of armed robbery cases”.
Diara (2011), opines that “The culture of spraying money at social occasions by the rich encour-
age the poor youths to be involved in armed robbery and other forms of violence”.

Unemployment and Economic Growth; the adverse effect of high unemployment on the do-
mestic economy cannot be quantified. The availability of abundant human resources if utilized
could serve as great catalyst to economic growth but if otherwise, could exert negative influence
on the economy. The unutilized large quantum of human resources in Kenya due to non-
availability of employment opportunities has continued to impede on the prospect of growth in
several ways. The resulting effect of unemployment such as perpetration of violence and general
insecurity threatens economic growth and development to a large extent.

10
2.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF LITERATURE REVIEW

The theories found relevant to this work are the Market Liberal Theory, The Marxist Theory of
unemployment and The Merton’s Anomie Theory.

2.3.1 MARKET LIBERAL THEORY

This theory was originated by Margaret Thatcher in 1990 to fight the growing unemployment
that hit Britain at that period (Haralambos, 2000). This theory was a challenge to Keynes view
that government could solve economic problems by increasing demand in the economy which
could invariably reduce unemployment.

An advocate of this theory was Friedman in Haralambos in what he called monetary Policies to
control inflation. He opposed Keynes opinion that increasing demand in the economy will reduce
unemployment but that will result in two much money chasing too few goods. To him, govern-
ment could reduce or even eliminate the problem by recuing the money supplied, thereby allow-
ing less money to circulate in the economy.

Adam Smith, a classical economist in his view posits that unemployment could not exist in long
term saying that the unemployed would be prepared to work for lower wages in order to get a
job. But Friedman disagrees with this view pointing out that in reality, there is no free market in
labour; rather, Mobility of the labour force; the availability and cost of information about the job
vacancies. Hence, government policies should target reducing public expenditure, powers of un-
ions and making laws that the unemployed will benefit from; inorder to make industries more
competitive allowing efficient industries to prosper, and this will reduce the burden of taxation
on successful industries while privatization of ineffective industries will make them to withdraw
and this will make the cost of employing people to fall as unions will lose power and bargaining
position as workers become weak and there will be incentives to take low paid work, hence re-
ducing youth unemployment in the economy.

2.3.2 THE MARXIST THEORY OF UNEMPLOYMENT

This theory is also known as “reserved army of labour theory. It is a conflict theory that derived
its roots from Marxian school of thought. It was propounded by Karl Marx. According to White
(2004), the theory refers “to the unemployed in the capitalist society” or “relative surplus popula-
tion”. The word “army” refers to the workers who queue up at company’s gate and web sites in
search of available job vacancies, and those workers who are conscripted and regimented in the

11
workplace in a hierarchy, under the command and the authority of the owners of capital. This
idea of the industrial reserve army of labour was in circulation in the British Labour Movement
in 1830’s. During this time, big industries usually require the services of the reserve army of un-
employed workers for times of over-population with the aim of having cheap labour. Therefore,
over-population is only for the benefit of bourgeoisies but it creates social and psychological ef-
fects on the proletariats, especially the youths that constitutes the majority of working popula-
tion.

Max Weber model explains the causes and the effects of unemployment in the global economy
in the mid-century. To Weber, unemployment is caused by many factors in a modern market
economy. It can be caused by rapid technological change, business cycle or recessions, seasonal
factors in some industries particularly, such as changes in tastes and climatic conditions which
affects demand for certain products and services, individual perceptions and willingness to work
and attitudes towards some jobs and about employers accessibility for retraining and acquisition
of work skills, after the training even though they have a change to get job, discrimination in the
work place based on race, colour, religion, ethnicity, age and class.

To Weber, unemployment is caused primarily by the social factors rather than by the individual
factors. However, Max Weber believed that individual construct their own social construct and
perception and they can be subjective in their behavior and therefore can become unemployed
even though in actual condition they can get a job in the job market.

2.3.3 ANOMIE STRAIN THEORY

It is one of the theories that have been extensively studied in the functionalist perspective. The
word “Anomie” was coined by a French Philosopher Jean-Marie Gujau and later developed by
Emile Durkheim, and further explained by Robert K. Merton in 1940s. In Durkheim usage, An-
omie refers to a situation in which cultural norms breakdown because of rapid change in the so-
ciety. For instance, since the industrial revolution, the increasing rate of unemployment in the
global economy have pushed unemployed person to a stage of anomie that is characterized by
major strains in various nations of the world.

To Merton, ‘Anomie Strain refers to a situation in which there is an apparent lack of fit between
the culture’s norms about what constitutes success in life (such as goals, power, prestige or
wealth) and the culture’s norms about the appropriate ways to achieve those goals (such as
means, employment, hard work etc.). When these are not available or are hard to come by, peo-
ple are pushed to a stage of normlessness (Anomie, Social unrest, Crime, Psychological trauma
12
and so on) in order to meet the societal approved goals that every society has set as a standard for
individuals.

This research adopted “anomie strain model” as its theoretical guide. The theoretical contribution
to this study will be directed at properly situating unemployment both at the individual and so-
cietal levels within the framework of our chosen perspective violent opposition to a political es-
tablishment.

2.4 Overview of Literature

Based on previous studies done in the field of unemployment and in particular on youth unem-
ployment an overview shown that multiple studies were carried out in many countries of the
world such as Uganda, Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda, USA, Asian countries, European Union mem-
ber states, south Africa and many other countries. The effects of youth unemployment analyzed
in this literature of this research proposal agrees on the impacts of youth unemployment which
include the following: social isolation, high crime rate, family tension, erosion of self confidence
and self-esteem, mental depression, drug abuse, homelessness poverty, early school dropout,
Alcoholism, rural-urban migration and ill health among others. According to the literature there
is seem to be close relationship between the effects of youth unemployment in both rural and ur-
ban centers.

Also the literature on the effects of unemployment on economic/social/political agreed that long
term unemployment leads to reduced future earnings of individuals and its established that other
factors such as education, gender, sex, experience, place of residence affects the level of earnings
for individuals. As per the available literature on the effects of youth unemployment in Nyando
sub-county, there existed a knowledge gap since there has been no comprehensive research car-
ried out on the youth unemployment problems in south Sudan. Thus, due to this existing
knowledge gap, the study will seeks to bridge the gap by investigating the perceptions and ana-
lyzing the impacts of youth unemployment in Nyando sub-county.

13
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter deals with the methodology that will be used in the study. It presents the research
design, Area of study, model specification, conceptual framework, definition, measurement and
expected signs of variables, measurement of unemployment, data source and type.

3.2 Research Design

According to Kothari (2004), a research design can be defined as a conceptual structure within
which research is conducted. It is a blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of da-
ta. This study used a case study research design. The case study was appropriate because it in-
volved an intensive investigation of a particular social unit under consideration and deepened the
researcher’s perception by enabling the researcher to obtain a real and enlightened record of per-
sonal experiences while at the same time increasing the researchers analyzing ability and skill.

This study involved both the use of primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data was
collected during field surveys through the administration of questionnaires while secondary data
included literature from books, journals, articles and journals accessed from the library, govern-
ment documents and the internet.

3.3 Research Site

The study was carried out in 5 wards in Nyando sub-county, Kisumu East. The wards are: East
kano/Wawidhi, Awasi/Onjiko, Ahero, Kabonyo/Kanyangwa, and Kobura ward.

3.4 Target Population

The target population of this study was all the unemployed youth in Nyando sub-county with a
sample taken from 5 wards in Nyando sub-county. The unemployed youth were categorized ac-
cording to the highest levels of education they have attained. These were as follows:

1. Primary Education

2. Secondary Education

3. College Diploma

4. University Degree

5. Others

14
 3.5 Sampling Design and Procedure

Fink (2010) defines a sample as a portion or a subset of a larger group called a target population.
A sample is therefore a constituent of a larger population to which a study’s findings will be ap-
plied. This study used stratified random sampling. This method was chosen because the unem-
ployed youth were divided into subgroups (strata) according to the highest level of education that
they had attained. From this method the researcher was able to provide evidence that the strata
are related to the dependent variable with an assumption that the sample was a representative of
the whole population.

3.6 Model Specification and Conceptual Framework

3.6.1 Conceptual Framework

Conceptual model can be developed as follows.

Dependent variable
Independent variable

Individual wellbeing

Economic status

Social status

3.6.2 Variables and conceptualization

Table 3.1

Concept Variable Indicator Measure

Wages Types of unemployment Percentage(five point likert
Unemployment Lack of professional scale)
Education
Gender, age Percentage
education level

Economic&Soial Economic conditions Income Questionnaire( likert scale)

status Health Percentage
Education Statistical report
Saving

15
 Social condition Social welfare Questionnaire
Infrastructure Percentage(likert scale)
Residence

Stratified sampling method was used to collect data. Primary is the major source of data collec-
tion method of this study. Questionnaire and interview are the main primary form of data collec-
tion tool used in this study. Data analysis mode based on collected questionnaire, correlation and
regression analysis. MS excel version 2010 and SPSS version16 use to data analysis.

Questionnaire prepared by researcher to target people about youth unemployment (workless

people), income level of family, consumption, expenditure health, saving, malnutrition, educa-
tion level, and socio economic. This questionnaire includes the personal details and socio eco-
nomic details .This questionnaire include the closed ended as well as open-ended question and
Nominal and likerd scale to measure the impact of youth unemployment.

In addition the questionnaire was administrator among the respondent to mark tick for their opin-
ion regarding the statement in the questionnaire. The five point likerd scale is used for statement
of the second section ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree, very low to very high.
The numerical values were given for the purpose of quantification of quantitative variation as
follows.

Table 3.2, scale of measurement

1 Strongly disagree Very low Don’t know

2 Disagree Low Not as good as most
3 Uncertain Moderate Same as most
4 Agree High Better than most
5 Strongly agree Very high The best

3.6.3 Hypothesis

H0-unempoyment does not affect the socio economic status of the people.

H1- unemployment effect the socio economic status of the people.

3.6.4 Descriptive statistic

The technique used to find out mean median and other statistical data through this researcher can
explain the whole data in this research.

16
3.6.5 Regression analysis

Regression analysis is to describe the nature of the relationship between two variables in terms of
a mathematical equation. Regression line explains the pattern of variation of the dependent vari-
able in relation to values; the independent variables.it is used to drive the line of the best fit.

Eq.1; simple regression model

Y1=B0+B1X1+U

Y-Socio Economic status of the people

X-Youth Unemployment

BO-The line crosses the vertical y-axis or constant term

B1-coefficiat of X1

17
 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Introductions

This chapter presents the results of the secondary data collected from the targeted population.
This chapter discusses the manner in which the data collected from the field was presented and
analyzed. The data collected is presented in form of tables and figures based on the response rate
and the variables of the study.

4.2 Analysis of the response rate

500 questionnaires were issued from the selected sample of a target population of 100 out of
which 320 were returned. The questionnaires returned amount to 64% of the response rate and
this forms a good basis for data analysis and for drawing conclusions as follows.

Socio-Economic Composition of the Respondents

Table 4.1 Sex composition of the respondent

Sex No.of the Respondents Percentage

Male 200 62.5
Female 120 37.5
Total 320 100

Table 4.2: Age Distribution of the Respondents

Age No.of the Respondents Percentage

Below 20 years 50 15.6
20-30 years 200 62.5
30-40 years 70 21.9
Total 320 100

Table 4.3: Marital Status of the Respondents

Category/states No.of the Respondents Percentage

Single 150 46.9
Marriage 60 18.7
Divorce/Separated 70 21.9
Windowed/Widower 40 12.5
Total 320 100

18
Table 4.4: Educational Level of the Respondent

Literacy level of the respond- No.of the Respondents Percentage

ents
Primary 50 15.6

Secondary 120 37.5

Collage &University Degree 90 28.1
Others 60 18.8

Total 320 100

4.3 The Decision Rule in testing

If the calculated chi-squared ( 𝑋 2 ) ) is greater than the tabulated or theoretical chi-square (𝑋 2 )

at a given level of significance and degree of freedom (df), we accept the alternate hypothesis,
otherwise reject the null hypothesis.

Hypothesis 1

There is strong relationship between youth unemployment and poverty situation in Nyando sub-
county Kenya.

Table 4.5:Analysis of Question 7

Details Male Female Total

Strongly Agree(SA) 100 80 180
Agree(A) 50 20 70
Uncertain(UN) 25 6 31
Disagree(D) 15 4 19
Strongly Disa- 10 10 20
gree(SD)
Total(M) 200 120 320(T)

19
To calculate the expected frequency (E) using E = 𝑀𝑁⁄𝑇 , we have: T

(200×180) (120×180)
=112.50 =67.50
320 320

(200×70) (120×70)
=43.75 =26.25
320 320

(200×31) 120×31)
=19.38 =11.63
320 320

(200×19) (120×19)
=11.88 =7.13
320 320

(200×20) (120×20)
=12.50 =7.50
320 320

Table 4.6: Observed and Expected Frequency (Hypothesis1)

Observed fre- Expected Frequency(E) (0 − 𝐸)2

quency(0) 𝐸
100 112.5 1.39
5O 43.8 0.88
25 19.3 1.68
15 11.9 0.81
10 12.5 0.50
80 67.5 2.31
20 26.3 1.51
6 11.6 2.70
4 7.1 1.35
12 7.5 2.70
32O 320
(𝟎−𝑬)𝟐
∑( )=15.83
𝑬

20
Therefore the calculate𝑋 2 = 15.83

At 5% (0.05) level of significance using two degrees of freedom (2df), the tabulated or theoreti-
cal chi-squared, 𝑋 2 = 5.991. Calculated chi-squared is greater than the theoretical chi-
square(𝑋 2 ), we accept the hypothesis that “there is strong/significant relationship between youth
unemployment and poverty situation in Nyando sub-county.

Hypothesis 2

Ho: (Null Hypothesis): There is no significant relationship between youth unemployment and the
level of kidnapping station in Nyando sub-county.

Table 4.7: The Analysis of Question 10

Details M F Total
SA 100 60 160(N)
A 50 40 90
UN 30 5 35
D 10 5 15
SD 10 10 20
Total(M) 200 120 320(T)

To calculate the expected frequency (E) using E = 𝑀𝑁⁄𝑇 , we have: T

(200×160) (120×160)
=100.00 =60.00
320 320

(200×90) (120×90)
=56.25 =33.75
320 320

(200×35) (120×35)
=21.88 =13.13
320 320

(200×15) (120×15)
=9.38 =5.63
320 320

(200×20) (120×20)
=12.50 =7.50
320 320

21
Table 4.8: Observed and Expected Frequency Table (hypothesis 2)

Observed fre- Expected Frequency(E) (0 − 𝐸)2

quency(0) 𝐸

100 100.0 0.00

5O 56.2 0.68

30 21.9 3.00

10 9.4 0.04

10 12.5 0.50

60 60.0 0.00

40 33.8 1.14

5 13.1 5.01

5 5.6 0.06

10 7.5 0.83

32O 320
(𝟎−𝑬)𝟐
∑( )=11.26
𝑬

Therefore the calculate 𝑋 2 = 11.26

At 5% (0.05) level of significance using two degrees of freedom (2df), the tabulated or theoreti-
cal chi-square, 𝑋 2 = 5.991. Since the calculated chi-square ( 𝑋 2 =11.26) is greater than the the-
oretical chi-squared (𝑋 2 =5.991), we accept the alternate hypothesis.

There is a significant relationship between youth unemployment and kidnapping situation in

Nyando sub-county especially Ahero town. This is in total agreement with the findings of Seers,
2007 that at a social level, prolonged unemployment usually results in some form of social pa-
thology, as reflected by an increased crime rate and violent agitators.

Similarly, our findings collaborated that of Asobie 2004 that, families with unemployed youths
and no source of income generation, as in the case of rural areas, face many economic challeng-

22
es. They lead miserable lives on account of poverty, inflation, unavailability of health, education
and water facilities.

In testing the hypothesis, the respondents responses were analysed and interpreted. The results
revealed that, there is a significant relationship between youth unemployment and armed robbery
situation in Nyando sub-county especially in Ahero area.

Hypothesis 3

Ho: There is no relationship between youth unemployment and poor health situation in Nyando
sub-county.

Table 4.9: The Analysis of Question 8

Details Male Female Total

SA 120 50 170(N)
A 40 30 70
UN 10 5 15
D 25 10 35
SD 5 25 30
TOTAL(M) 200 120 320 (T)
To calculate the expected frequency (E) using E = 𝑀𝑁⁄𝑇 , we have: T

(200×170) (120×170)
=106.25 =63.75
320 320

(200×70) (120×70)
=43.75 =26.25
320 320

(200×15) (120×15)
=9.38 =5.63
320 320

(200×35) (120×35)
=21.88 =13.13
320 320

(200×30) (120×30)
=18.75 =11.25
320 320

23
Table 4.10: Observed and Expected Frequency Table (hypothesis 3)

Observed fre- Expected Frequency(E) (0 − 𝐸)2

quency(0) 𝐸

120 106.3 1.77

4O 43.8 0.33

10 9.4 0.04

25 21.9 0.44

5 18.7 10.04

50 63.7 2.95

30 26.3 0.46

5 5.6 0.06

10 13.1 0.73

25 11.2 17.00

32O 320
(𝟎−𝑬)𝟐
∑( )=33.82
𝑬

Therefore calculated 𝑋 2 = 33.82

At 5% (0.05) level of significance using two degrees of freedom (2df), the tabulated chi-
squared, 𝑋 2 = 5.991 less than the calculated chi-squared, 𝑋 2 = 33.82. We therefore accept the
alternative hypothesis. There is significant relationship between youth unemployment and poor
health conditions in Nyando sub-county.

Hypothesis 4

H1: There is a significant relationship between lack of industries and youth unemployment in
Nyando sub-county using Question 25: Does lack of industries in Nyando sub-county contribute
to high rate of youth unemployment in Nyando sub-county?

24
Table 4.11: The Analysis of Question 11

Details Male Female Total

SA 150 40 190
A 25 30 55
UN 15 25 40
D 8 15 23
SD 2 10 12
Total 200 120 320

To calculate the expected frequency (E) using E = 𝑀𝑁⁄𝑇 , we have: T

(200×190) (120×190)
=118.75 =71.25
320 320

(200×55) (120×55)
=34.38 =20.63
320 320

(200×40) (120×40)
=25.00 =15.00
320 320

(200×23) (120×23)
=14.38 =8.63
320 320

(200×12) (120×12)
320
=7.50 320
=4.50

25
Table 4.12: Observed and Expected Frequency Table (hypothesis4)

Observed fre- Expected Frequency(E) (0 − 𝐸)2

quency(0) 𝐸

150 118.8 6.49

25 34.4 2.57

15 25.0 4.00

8 14.4 2.84

2 7.5 4.03

40 71.3 13.74

30 20.6 4.29

25 15.0 6.67

15 8.6 4.76

10 4.4 7.13

32O 320
(𝟎−𝑬)𝟐
∑( )=56.52
𝑬

Therefore, the calculated X2 = 56.52

At 5% (0.05) level of significance using two degree of freedom (2 df), the tabulated chi squared,
X2 = 5.991 and calculated chi squared (X2) = 56.52is greater than the theoretical chi squared
(X2*) of 5.991. We accept the hypothesis that “there is a significant relationship between lack of
industries in Ahero and the high rate of youth unemployment in Nyando sub-county.

26
4.4 Discussion of the results

There is a significant relationship between youth unemployment kidnaping situation in Nyando

sub-county. This is in total agreement with the findings of Seers, 2007 that at a social level, pro-
longed unemployment usually results in some form of social pathology, as reflected by an in-
creased crime rate and violent agitators.

Similarly, our findings collaborated that of Asobie 2004 that, families with unemployed youths
and no source of income generation, as in the case of rural areas, face many economic challeng-
es. They lead miserable lives on account of poverty, inflation, unavailability of health, education
and water facilities.

In testing the hypothesis, the respondents’ responses were analyzed and interpreted. The results
revealed that, there is a significant relationship between youth unemployment and kidnapping
situation in Nyando sub-county.

Significant relationship between youth unemployment and health situation in Nyando sub-county
was also confirmed.

There is a significant relationship between youth unemployment and poverty in Nyando sub-
county.

Other findings showed that kidnapping was carried out for ransom as a kind of social revolution
by unemployed youths who are not satisfied with their socio-economic lot.

There was high rural-urban drift due to lack of infrastructure in the rural areas. Unemployment
and underemployment has been caused by several factors such as: rural-urban migration, corrup-
tion, socio-cultural constraints, poor educational system and high turnover of graduates from
secondary and higher institutions, increase in government spending on political office holders.
The state of unemployment causes depression, low self-esteem, frustration and a number of other
negative consequences as stated by Ipaye (1998).

27
4.5 Limitations of the Study

The study on the effect of youth unemployment in Nyando sub-county is challenging since there
is inadequate data on unemployment at the national government level and the state as well.

As the study intended to use secondary data in the analysis. It was hard to access the database for
the national bureau of statistic until i have to talk to the authority to allow me access their data
file. The data had some insufficient information,

However, given the above limitations there must be flaws in the results, but necessary verifica-
tion were done in order to ensure that viable results are obtained for the purpose of this research
work.

28
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

This chapter discusses the findings of the study, draws conclusions from the research and makes
recommendations for practice and for further study.

5.2 Summary of findings

From the research investigations it was found that unemployment among the youth is growing at
an alarming rate. Despite the efforts made by youth to try and update their skills through further
education, it is disturbing to realize that such efforts do not automatically translate to employ-
ment .This is evidenced by 90% of the youth actively seeking employment and only 2% receiv-
ing any invitation for job interviews!. This situation causes stress to both youth and parents alike.
Those youth who are married and those who live alone, live in deplorable conditions as they
barely have enough to eat or cater for their livelihoods.

It is also shocking to note that youth are involved in criminal activities due to unemployment.
Hardly does a day go by without some crime being evidenced from petty pickpocketing to seri-
ous crimes like robbery. Of concern is the lack of community support and the threat to family life
due to delayed marriages and diseases such as HIV&AIDS. The research also found a worrying
revelation that despite the government releasing youth funds, youth cannot access these funds
easily because to qualify, they are have to produce a six month bank statement! This explains
why 90 % of the youth have not benefited from the funds.

5.3 Conclusion

Youth unemployment in Nyando sub-county is rising in a worrying trend which has given rise to
social malfunctions such as increase in crime, sexually transmitted and mental diseases due to
constant stress and worries of basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Although it may be
impossible to completely eliminate unemployment, the government needs to put genuine intend
in taking measures to curb unemployment before all the educated youth brains and efforts go to
waste. Services in public hospitals need to be updated and adequately equipped to deal with the
health challenges facing the youth.

29
5.4 Recommendation

Although continued unemployment among the youth contributes to a sharp rise in crime,
measures should be put in place to provide youth with income generating activities and forums
for spending their time for periods that they remain unemployed. Parents and teachers should try
as much as possible to not only to educate their children but also nature their talents in sports,
music and other arts. This will occupy their time, create employment and possibly reduce crime.

Proper educational planning coupled with relevant skills acquisition and technical based courses
to prevent employment mismatch is highly recommended for Government. Socio-economic de-
velopment in the provision of amenities and basic infrastructures to enhance employment genera-
tion is pursued.

Kenyan Government should revive ailing industries; encourage the establishment of new indus-
tries with small and medium enterprise (SMEs).

Entrepreneurial development should be encouraged for self-employment and self-reliance.

Educational curriculum should be reviewed to pave way for skill acquisition and entrepreneur-
ship development in technical and tertiary institutions.

Agriculture should be promoted and revitalized through modernization of the rural areas as well
as provision of basic infrastructures to check rural-urban migration.

Adequate population control should be encouraged to meet available resources and give enabling
environment for investment.

Micro-finance institutions should be encouraged to provide the needed funds for development of
small entrepreneurship and wealth creation.

5.5 Areas for further research

This research was limited to the investigation on youth unemployment in Nyando sub-county.
Although this research only considered youths from the age of 18 years to 35 years only, further
research can be carried out to establish the effects of unemployment on adults who are above 35
years of age and in other counties to give a wider perspective of the effects of unemployment on
all the working age population at large.

30
REFERENCES

Bakke, E. W.: The Unemployed Worker. A Study of the Task of Making a Living without a Job.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1940.

Brenner, M. H.: Influence of the social environment on psychopathology: the historic perspec-
tive. In Barrett, J. E., Rose, R. M. and Klerman G. L. (eds.), Stress and Mental Disorder. New
York: Raven Press, 1979.

Buss, T. F. and Redburn, F. S.: Mass Unemployment. Plant Closings and Community Mental
Health. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1983.

Catalano, R. A. & Dooley, and C. D.: Heals effects of economic instability: A test of economic
stress hypothesis. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 24 (1983): 46 — 60.

Eisenberg, P. & Lazarsfeld, P. F.: The Psychological Effects of Unemployment. Psychological

Bulletin 35 (1938): 358 — 390.

Engbersen, G., Schuyt, K., Timmer, J.: Cultures of Unemployment. Long-Term Unemployment
in Dutch Inner Cities. Leiden: Working Papers of the Department of Sociology at the University
of Leiden, 1990.

Feather, N. T.: The Psychological Impact of Unemployment. Berlin: Spinger-Verlag, 1990.

Fryer, D.: The Experience of Unemployment in Social Context. In Fisher, S. & Reason, J. (Eds.):
Handbook of Life Stress, Cognition and Health. Chichester: Wiley, 1988.

Fryer, D. & Payne, R. Being Unemployed: A Review of the Literature on the psychological Ex-
perience of Unemployment. In Cooper, C. L . & Robertson, I. (Eds.): International Review of
Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Chichester: Wiley, 1986.

31
 APPENDICIES

COVER LETTER

Date: 1st May, 2018

Ref: Research Questionnaire,

Dear respondents,

I am a student at Moi University undertaking a degree in BA (Social Work). I am currently un-

dertaking a research project titled ‘The Socio Economic Effects of Youth Unemployment in
Nyando sub-county, Kenya. In regard to the above, your ward has been selected out of the many
wards in Nyando sub-county to provide the information needed to meet the objectives of this
study. I wish to request you to provide the information required by completing the questionnaire
attached. Please note that the information obtained will be used for research purposes only and
will be accorded the required confidentiality. Your assistance is highly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Omondi Stephene

32
QUESTIONNAIRE

This questionnaire is for academic purposes only and all the information provided shall be confi-
dential. Your assistance in the completion of this questionnaire will be highly appreciated.

Name: …………………. (OPTINAL) Date: ……………..

Location Name: ………… Contact………………..

1. Age of Respondent?

(A). 15-19 (B). 20-24

(C). 25-29 (D). 30-34

2. Gender?

(A). Male (B). Female

3. Marital Status?

(A). Single (B). Married

4. Education?

(A). Primary (B). Secondary

(C). Collage (D). University Degree

5. Current Status?

(A). Employed (B). Unemployed

6. What is the cause of Youth Unemployment?

(A). Economic recession (B). increased birth rate

(C). Increasing technology (D). Illiteracy

7. Youth unemployment leads to high rate of poverty?

(A). strongly Agree (B). Agree

(C). Disagree (D). Uncertain

(E). Strongly Disagree

33
8. Does unemployment leads to poor health?

(A). strongly Agree (B). Agree

(C). Disagree (D). Uncertain

(E). Strongly Disagree

9. Unemployment peoples are usually engaged in arm robbery?

(A). strongly Agree (B). Agree

(C). Disagree (D). Uncertain

(E). Strongly Disagree

10. Unemployment increases kidnapping rates?

(A). strongly Agree (B). Agree

(C). Disagree (D). Uncertain

(E). Strongly Disagree

11. Lack of enough industries in Nyando sub-county is cause of unemployment?

(A). strongly Agree (B). Agree

(C). Disagree (D). Uncertain

(E). Strongly Disagree

Date………….

34