“I believe I am among the most highly educated people in Kenya. Unfortunately, despite these qualifications and academic achievements, I remain unemployed,” he wrote.
A Kenyan academician with two doctoral degrees has sparked widespread debate on social media after revealing that he remains unemployed despite his impressive educational achievements.
Dr. Eric Mutwiri, a specialist in Applied and Computational Mathematics, shared his story on X, saying he believes he is among the most highly educated individuals in Kenya but has been unable to secure employment.
“I believe I am among the most highly educated people in Kenya. Unfortunately, despite these qualifications and academic achievements, I remain unemployed,” he wrote.
Mutwiri disclosed that he earned a scholarship to pursue a PhD in Computational Mathematics at the Pan-African University, one of the continent’s leading institutions. He described the scholarship as highly competitive, noting that he was selected to represent Kenya among some of Africa’s brightest mathematics students.
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According to Mutwiri, his academic performance enabled him to graduate at the top of his class, further cementing his credentials as a leading scholar in his field.
He explained that beneficiaries of the African Union scholarship programme are required to remain and work in Africa for at least five years after completing their studies. The programme aims to strengthen research and academic capacity across African universities and institutions.
“The primary objective of the African Union scholarship programme is to build adequate academic and research capacity for African universities and institutions. Despite these achievements, I have not been able to secure an opportunity within the university system,” he said.
Mutwiri believes his expertise could contribute significantly to Kenya’s public universities but lamented that securing employment within the higher education sector has proved difficult.
“Unfortunately, getting a job at our universities needs a ‘godfather’s’ hand, which I don’t have,” he added.
His remarks ignited a lively discussion online, with many Kenyans expressing concern about unemployment among highly educated professionals and the challenges facing the country’s education and labour sectors.
Some users called for reforms to ensure merit-based recruitment in institutions of higher learning, while others encouraged the scholar to explore entrepreneurship and private tutoring opportunities.
One social media user, identified as Genesis, argued that the situation reflects deeper problems within the education system.
“Our education system needs reforms beyond accumulating degrees. If someone with two PhDs is still crying over unemployment, then what hope exists for bachelor’s graduates, diploma holders, certificate holders and artisans?” the user wrote.
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Prominent lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi suggested that Mutwiri consider self-employment rather than relying solely on formal job opportunities.
“Start your own business. Why are you looking for a job crying in the streets? A tuition centre is a good idea. Go teach the kids maths,” he commented.
Others expressed sympathy for the scholar, saying his experience highlights the growing disconnect between academic achievement and employment opportunities in Kenya.
The discussion has renewed concerns about youth and graduate unemployment in the country, where many qualified professionals continue to struggle to find jobs despite years of advanced education and training.
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