When Work Does Not Pay: Youth, Low Wages and Poor Working Conditions in Kenya
For many young people, getting a job is seen as the beginning of financial independence, stability and a better future. Yet for a growing number of young workers, having a job does not necessarily mean having a decent life. Low salaries, rising living costs, long working hours, inadequate benefits and poor working conditions continue to affect the ability of young people to build secure and dignified futures.
The challenge is not simply unemployment. It is also the quality of employment available to young people. Many young workers enter the labour market with limited experience and bargaining power. Faced with high unemployment and intense competition for opportunities, they may accept jobs that pay very little, offer limited benefits or provide few opportunities for career progression. Some are forced to work multiple jobs or remain in informal employment simply to meet their basic needs.
The situation becomes particularly concerning when we look at essential professions such as nursing. The nurses' strikes in Kenya have brought national attention to the relationship between pay, working conditions and the value society places on its workforce. Nurses carry enormous responsibilities, working long hours, dealing with demanding workloads and caring for patients under challenging circumstances. When workers feel that their salaries, allowances, staffing levels or working conditions do not adequately reflect these responsibilities, frustration can eventually lead to industrial action.
The impact extends far beyond the workers themselves. When nurses go on strike, patients may experience delays in receiving essential healthcare services. Families can face additional financial and emotional pressure, while hospitals become overstretched. This demonstrates that poor working conditions are not merely an employment issue; they can become a societal issue affecting the quality of essential public services.
For young people entering professions such as healthcare, education, engineering and other sectors, these experiences can also influence their expectations of employment. Young graduates want to know that their education and skills can translate into meaningful livelihoods. If employment offers long hours, low pay, limited protection and little recognition, young people may lose motivation, seek opportunities elsewhere or leave their professions altogether.
At the Learning for Tomorrow Foundation, we believe that young people deserve more than simply access to jobs. They deserve decent work that provides fair compensation, safe working environments, professional growth, social protection and dignity.
Addressing this challenge requires stronger investment in skills development, fair remuneration, workplace protections, career progression and meaningful dialogue between employers and employees. Young people should also be empowered to understand their workplace rights, develop financial resilience and participate constructively in conversations about employment and labour policies.
Kenya's future will depend not only on creating more jobs, but on creating better jobs. Employment should enable young people to support themselves and their families, plan for the future and contribute confidently to society.
The nurses' struggle offers an important lesson: when workers are valued, society benefits. Fairer wages and better working conditions can strengthen productivity, improve the quality of public services and give young people greater confidence in their future.
Decent work is therefore not a privilege. It is a foundation for dignity, social stability, economic opportunity and a better future for young people.