First-class & master’s degree graduate has tarmacked for 15 years

First-class & master’s degree graduate has tarmacked for 15 years

First-class & master’s degree graduate has tarmacked for 15 years

After graduating from the University of Nairobi (UoN) with first-class honors and garnering recognition, Isaac Hague Oritcho has experienced nothing but suffering for the past 15 years.His tragic tale started in 2007, not long after he earned his bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Northern Nigeria, with the hope that he would live a prosperous life.

In an earlier media interview, he said, “In the endless applications I have made since I graduated, I have been turned down mostly for over qualifications or lack of job which to me is very strange.”His academic career began at Kondele Primary School, where he received 486 out of the 700 possible points at the time of his grade.

He moved right away to Kisumu Boys High School, where he worked hard for four years before graduating with a B+ and getting accepted to the top public institution.Oritcho’s diligence during his undergraduate studies paid off, as he was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a master’s degree with a focus on applied human nutrition.

However, attempts to seek for official jobs following the completion of his master’s degree were unsuccessful.”I had no idea that all of my effort would one day be for naught. I used to give up my sleep for trans-night practically every day in high school and college in the hopes that my future would be bright. Regretfully, I am surrounded with disappointments right now,” he said in a K24 interview.

Oritcho went on to say that he had submitted over a thousand applications but had received no answer.His most recent experience working was as a part-time lecturer at Masinde Muliro University, where he claimed never to have received remuneration.

Sometimes I think death is the only solution for me, especially since I don’t see a chance of living. Not once, not twice have I thought of taking a rat and rat to take away my life because after death there is no suffering. I have suffered a lot,” he added.To make ends meet, he took up casual jobs such as cattle grazing. 

Oritcho’s difficulties are a lot like those of many Kenyans who graduate each year  with excellent academic papers only to find themselves in a dismal corporate  environment with little job options, forcing many of them into entrepreneurship. According to Statista, by the end of 2023, there will be 27.71 million employed  people in Kenya, while the country’s unemployment rate is predicted to rise to 5.41  percent.

Studies have also revealed that every year, between 500,000 and 800,000 recent  graduates join the workforce and vie for scarce positions. According to a recent research by the Federation of Kenyan Employers (FKE), 43.8  percent of employers require a bachelor’s degree, 34.9 percent require at least a  certificate from a technical or vocational college, and 23.4% request a secondary  school certificate. Employers value post-doctoral achievers more than master’s degree holders (33.3%), with only 12.1%  requiring one.