Whenever Kenyans see older people occupying positions of leadership, the reaction is almost predictable: shouldn’t they step aside and give the youth a chance? The perception is that older Kenyans are holding onto opportunities that should now belong to a younger generation. This is an emotive issue and understandably so, especially in a country where an estimated 67 per cent of young people under 34 are unemployed. But are older Kenyans really denying the youth opportunities simply by remaining in employment or leadership? Or are we blaming the wrong people for a much bigger problem and should be asking entirely different questions?
At first glance, the argument appears straightforward. Kenya is a youthful country and every year, hundreds of young people graduate from universities, colleges and technical institutions and enter the labour market in search of job opportunities. Yet many struggle to secure meaningful employment. At the same time, we continue to see a few individuals in their sixties and seventies occupying positions in government, academia, business and public life. It is therefore tempting to conclude that if older people simply retired, jobs would automatically become available for the younger generation.
The reality, however, is far more complicated. The assumption seems to be that there is a fixed number of jobs in the economy – notion economists sometimes refer to as the “lump of labour” fallacy. This is the mistaken belief that there is a fixed, finite amount of work available in an economy with the suggestion that for every older person who leaves a job, a younger person automatically takes their place. But as we all know, this is not the case because jobs are created, transformed and eliminated by a range of factors including investments, technology among others.
Moreover, the departure of an experienced worker does not automatically create an opportunity for a young person.
Many roles require specialised skills, institutional knowledge and years of experience that cannot be replaced overnight. Effective transitions depend on deliberate succession planning, mentorship and sustained skills development – not simply on older people stepping aside.
This is not to suggest that older people should remain in positions indefinitely. Rather, it highlights that the issue is not simply one of age but of succession, knowledge transfer and institutional preparedness and ensuring that economic development and opportunities available especially to the youth. This is because, in reality only less than 5% of Kenyans over 60 years hold any formal employment positions.
In addition, many older Kenyans continue working not because they are unwilling to retire but because they cannot afford to stop working. This is because retirement security remains a significant challenge in Kenya. Pension coverage is limited, and many retirees struggle to maintain their standard of living after leaving formal employment. For others, family obligations continue long after retirement age. It is not uncommon to find retirees supporting unemployed adult children, paying school fees for grandchildren, or assisting extended family members.
Indeed, according to the Retirement Benefits Authority report – in 2024 an estimated 83% retirees were supporting their families – majority being young adults. Under such circumstances, remaining economically active becomes less a matter of personal ambition and more a matter of necessity for some retirees when the opportunity is available.
One could also argue that in a society where large numbers of older people cannot afford to retire because of financial reasons – this reflects deeper structural problems than simply an ageing workforce. It raises questions about pension adequacy, social protection, healthcare costs and financial preparedness.
In addition, many successful professionals readily acknowledge that their careers were shaped by senior colleagues who took the time to guide and mentor them. The challenge, therefore, is not whether older workers should contribute, but how their contributions can be leveraged to strengthen younger generations. Perhaps the more important question is why Kenya’s economy is not generating enough quality jobs for both young and old.
The focus on older workers can sometimes become a convenient distraction from more difficult conversations about economic growth, industrialisation, entrepreneurship, education quality and labour market reforms. Even if every Kenyan over sixty exited the workforce tomorrow, youth unemployment would not disappear. The numbers simply do not support such a conclusion.
The real challenge is that the economy has not expanded rapidly enough to absorb the growing number of young people entering the labour market each year. This suggests that the debate should move beyond age and focus on building pathways that allow different generations to thrive together.
The way forward is not to simply “push” older Kenyans out of employment positions, but to create smoother transitions between generations. Organisations must invest in succession planning, mentorship and skills development long before retirement. Older professionals should be encouraged to share their knowledge and experience, while younger people are deliberately prepared to take on greater responsibility. Retirement itself can also be reimagined through advisory, consulting and part-time roles that allow older people to continue contributing without standing in the way of emerging talent.
At the same time, Kenya must strengthen pension security so that older people are not forced to remain in full-time employment simply to survive. But the bigger priority must be job creation -not merely redistributing a limited number of existing positions. A growing economy, stronger enterprises and investment in productive sectors will create far more opportunities than blaming one generation for the struggles of another.
Young Kenyans deserve the chance to work, lead and build meaningful futures. But older Kenyans should not be treated as obstacles simply because of their age. The real problem is not that older people occupy too many job positions; it is that Kenya creates too few opportunities.
We must stop turning generations into competitors – under the disguise that older Kenyans are denying the youth job opportunities. Kenya needs the energy and fresh thinking of its youth, just as it needs the experience and institutional knowledge of its older citizens. The goal should not be to replace one generation with another, but to build a country in which every generation has the opportunity – and the space- to contribute.
Dr. Kaendi Munguti is a certified retirement and transition coach and is the Founder and CEO of Reinvent RetireMINT