Bahati MP aspirant, Muturi: Youth need opportunities, not just budget allocations

Psychologist and Bahati parliamentary aspirant Arthur Muturi Gichuru has criticised Kenya’s political leadership, arguing that young people continue to be excluded from meaningful opportunities despite government budget allocations.

He says the country’s challenges stem from systemic failures, urging voters to make rational decisions in 2027 and elect leaders based on values.

Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Monday, Muturi highlighted that his decision to seek the Bahati parliamentary seat was driven by a desire to advocate for young people and improve community well-being.

“I have a company called Sereniminds Wellness. We advocate for mental health, and we also do a lot of training across the country in so many organizations. I want to get into politics to advocate for the rights of young people and also to improve the well-being of our community, especially where I come from, Nakuru, Bahati,” he highlighted.

The Sereniminds Founder argued that Bahati Constituency had suffered from poor representation over the years, claiming elected leaders had not effectively carried out their legislative and oversight responsibilities.

“The work of a Member of Parliament is actually to go there and legislate, advocate, and become more vocal when it comes to the passing of laws. We have never had a Member of Parliament who has ever passed a policy or even spoken in Parliament. Our member of parliament who is there today has not actually spoken in Parliament,” he stated.

Bahati Constituency is one of the 11 constituencies in Nakuru County, located north of Nakuru and covering approximately 375 square kilometres with a population of about 163,000 people.

The constituency's economy is largely driven by agriculture and quarrying and comprises five wards: Bahati, Kabatini, Kiamaina, Dundori, and Lanet/Umoja.

Bahati is currently represented in the National Assembly by Irene Mrembo Njoki, who was elected in the 2022 General Election after defeating two-term MP Kimani Ngunjiri.

Ngunjiri served as MP from 2013 to 2022, while Njoki became the constituency's first female legislator. The constituency remains a key political battleground in Nakuru County due to its growing population and strategic position near Nakuru City.

Progresively, while acknowledging government investments and development projects, Bahati MP aspirant questioned whether budget allocations were translating into real opportunities for young people.

“Kenyans do not eat allocations. Young people are not looking forward to allocations. Young people are looking forward to opportunities. If you do not create opportunities, we keep on talking about allocations, but the question is how many job opportunities will be created and how many Kenyans will actually benefit,” he highlighted.

He further argued that Kenya was producing more graduates than the economy could absorb, saying many young people struggled to access employment despite acquiring qualifications.

“Every year, we have over 800,000 to one million Kenyans getting into the job market. It means we are producing more graduates than we are creating jobs. The people who are actually getting these jobs are not necessarily the youth.”

Muturi's remarks come amid Kenya releasing hundreds of thousands of graduates into the labour market every year, reaffirming growing concerns over job creation.

Data from the Commission for University Education (CUE) shows university graduates increased from 99,829 in 2023 to 123,928 in 2024.

Meanwhile, the TVET Authority reported 162,767 graduates from technical and vocational institutions in 2024 alone.

Combined, universities and TVETs produced nearly 287,000 graduates in 2024. University enrolment reached more than 606,000 students in 2024, while TVET enrolment stood at 614,816, signalling that graduate numbers are likely to rise further through 2025 as more learners complete their studies.

Drawing from his background in psychology, Muturi urged citizens to approach politics rationally rather than emotionally.

He also warned voters against replacing one political establishment with another without evaluating leaders carefully.

“If we go to the ballot just to remove person X and put person B, and we have not evaluated this particular person, we will just be replacing an old system with another system that is not going to work,” he explained.

Muturi concluded by urging Kenyans, particularly young voters, to remain engaged beyond moments of protest and use the ballot to pursue meaningful change in the 2027 elections.