"We are tired of being sidelined by organizations working in our region," said Diminick Lutum, a resident of Kakuma.
Lutum continued: "These organizations come here, promise us jobs and then hire people from outside. We are left watching and doing nothing at home yet we have gone to school. We must reverse the trend of people taking away opportunities meant for us."
The protesters comprising mainly Gen Zs marched through major streets of the town as they pushed their demands to World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), chanting slogans and carrying banners and placards.
Some of the placards read, 'We Need Jobs, stop Ignoring Local Youth, and Our Future Matters'.
The demonstrations disrupted normal activities in Kakuma, causing locals to halt business activities and watch the Gen Z protests from a distance.
Many of the demonstrators expressed their displeasure with NGOs and other development agencies that have been working in Turkana for years, but were not considering local youth in job opportunities.
"We see new projects starting all the time, but we never see any real benefit for the local youth," a protester, Grace Lokwei, said.
She added: "The youth have always been given nothing but promises. We are promised jobs and training, but at the end, we are left out."
The youth also claimed that nepotism was rampant in a number of the NGOs operating in Turkana West. They accused top officials of allegedly rewarding their relatives and friends when job opportunities arise.
"Nepotism is rampant. We see people with connections getting jobs, while qualified local youth are ignored. This has to stop," said Peter Emoru.
Local leaders have acknowledged the youth's concerns and called for constructive dialogue between the community and the organizations.
"We are committed to working with the local community to ensure that our projects benefit everyone, especially the youth," said Steesh Nanduri, Head of Sub Office UNHCR Kakuma.
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