Alinory Kwena, a youth elder has advised President William Ruto on how to create job opportunities for the growing Kenyan population.
In a statement on Thursday, January 4, Kwena said Ruto should address challenges facing businesses in Kenya to guarantee employment to the citizens.
He went on to refer to the collapse of formerly big retail chains citing what he called lack of enough measures to protect them.
According to him, such businesses once given the chance to thrive would help to create employment for many.
“There was a time when supermarkets were doing very well in this country. They provided both direct and indirect employment to so many citizens; both educated and learned, and youths and adults without any form of discrimination,” he said.
Why Supermarkets are Good Employers
He said the retail sector is not subject to challenges like tribalism, nepotism, or bureaucracy like in government, NGOs, or other purely formal sectors.
Besides, the youth leader explained that supermarkets pay taxes and rarely evade remitting their taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
“Mr. President, don’t you remember Ukwala, Uchumi, Nakumatt, Tuskys, Shoprite, Choppies, Mulleys, Chandarana? I’m sure you do!
Today we have Naivas, Carrefour, Quickmart, Khetias, and Eastmatt arguably doing well. But Mr. President, my foreboding is that I do not know who will save them from the same karma that defined the fate and destiny of Ukwala, Uchumi, Nakumatt, Tuskys, Shoprite, Mulleys and Choppies! And do we even have an idea about how that karma looks like in the first place?” said Kwena.
Further in his statement, the self-proclaimed youth leader argued that local businesses including the informal sector would go a long way in spurring Kenya’s economy.
He vouched for the informal sector noting that they were in a better place to create jobs needed in Kenya as opposed to scouting for multinational firms like Google to invest in Kenya.
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How to Protect Local Companies
According to him, Ruto can ensure sustainability and profitability of these sectors by protecting the local companies from money launderers who pretend to be investors.
He emphasized that the informal sector should also be protected from rogue and corrupt government officials like traffic police, kanjo, Communication Authority of Kenya, Ministry of Health, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Trade Unions and labor Officers.
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“Sir, these are sectors which will be there no matter how technology advances. I strongly believe that the government would generate more revenue from Tuskys alone than all the imaginary Microsoft, Google, etcetera jobs combined. Which taxes do these companies remit to KRA?” he said.
Also, he asked the president to figure out why various local business and companies including the sugar factories have collapsed.
He also wished Ruto best of luck in executing the Kenya Kwanza manifesto and plan.
