Raphael Tuju: My Generation of Leaders Failed Kenyan Youth

Former Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju in a past interview/PHOTO:COURTESY.

Former Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju has admitted that leaders from his generation failed to steer Kenya in the right direction, leaving young people without opportunities and hope for the future.

Speaking on NTV on Monday, Tuju offered what he called an apology on behalf of his peers, saying they did not live up to the promise of their time.

“I must say I am sorry on behalf of my generation. I think we start by acknowledging that we failed at a national scale, my generation in our current leadership and the immediate past,” Tuju said.

Tuju reflected on his time in the Kibaki administration, where he served alongside leaders older than him and said only a few younger faces such as himself and Najib Balala broke through.

“You can say that probably the post-independence generation who took over was just President Uhuru Kenyatta and current President William Ruto,” he noted.

Tuju contrasted the opportunities available to past generations with today’s reality. He recalled how in the 1970s and 80s, graduates were almost guaranteed jobs immediately after school.

“If you ever went to Kenyatta University to do a Bachelor of Education, you did your attachment in a secondary school and you were paid. By the time you graduated, you already had a job,” Tuju said.

“Now there was very good planning, which made sure that as students qualified, there was a place they were going.”

Today, however, the situation is different. Tuju lamented that nearly a million young Kenyans complete secondary school annually, but the government can only employ between 50,000 and 60,000.

“So, what happens to close to a million every year? Why are we surprised when we have increased crime, when we have restlessness, when we have youth who are despondent and see no light at the end of the tunnel?” he posed.

Despite that, Tuju expressed optimism that the country can still turn things around if leaders embrace accountability and practical solutions.

“I keep on saying that our best days are still to come, so we can still solve this problem,” he said.