Meet Kenyan College Graduates Who Crush Stone to Earn a Living

The rate of unemployment among Kenyans aged between 18 and 34 years stands at 40%, with the economy struggling to create sufficient jobs for the 800,000 youths joining the workforce every year.

As a result, many young people, including college and university graduates, have resorted to doing menial jobs to make ends meet.  

26-year-old Amos Kimutai, a Bachelor of Science graduate in Petroleum Chemistry from Kisii University, has been working at a quarry in Kaporuso, Bomet East Sub-County for the past seven months after he failed to secure formal employment.

Speaking to Nation, Kimutai said his attempts to join the police service and the army after failing to secure a job were also unsuccessful. 

“I have repeatedly applied for jobs in the petroleum sector, the police, and the Kenya Defense Forces, but I have not been successful. When I graduated, I looked forward to getting employment at the National Oil Corporation, Kenya Pipeline Company or Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority, but my hopes and dreams have collapsed,” said Kimutai.

He earns about Sh100 a day working at the quarry, where he crushes stones for sale as ballast. This is what sustains him and his wife.

“It takes a day to crush one tonne of ballast, which sells for Sh300, with the owner of the quarry taking Sh200 of the money, leaving us with Sh100,” Kimutai remarked.

“One is only able to raise the earnings if by luck the client purchasing the goods does not have loaders. Depending on the tonnes procured, one is able to make an additional Sh200 by loading and offloading the trucks,” he added.

Here, he works alongside three other friends, who also hold college diplomas in various disciplines.

Peter Kipng’etich Langat graduated last year with a diploma in health records from Maanza Kenya Medical Training College. He has worked at the quarry for one year. 

“I have applied for jobs in government and private institutions, but there has not been any feedback. I was told at the County Government of Bomet that I can only be taken in as a volunteer, but that it comes without a salary,” the 24-year-old father of one said.

Johna Korir has a diploma in mechanical engineering from Eldoret Polytechnic from where he graduated in 2013, and has worked at the site for the past three years. The 31-year-old has three children and his wife works as a vegetable vendor.

Dancun Korir has worked at the quarry for one year and holds a certificate and diploma in electrical engineering from Sot Technical Institute in Bomet.

 “I decided to take up the quarry work as it was the only open opportunity, so that I could at least stop relying on my parents for upkeep,” said Korir, 25.

Besides being mocked by villagers, who argue that they wasted their time getting education, the four young men are exposed to danger at the quarry due to a lack of protective gear.

They also have no medical insurance and have to walk at least seven kilometers from the village to the quarry and back every day.