Hundreds of Kenyans Turn Up for Job Interview as Nairobi Hotel Advertises 5 Positions

A recent incident where hundreds of Kenyan youths showed up for job interview at a top Nairobi hotel has exposed the alarmingly high level of unemployment in the country.

A photo taken at Nairobi's Eka Hotel on the interview day went viral on social media on Sunday.

Reports indicate that the four-star hotel located along Mombasa Road had advertised for only five positions but hundreds of people turned up to try their luck.

In the photo circulating online, hundreds of job seekers are seen at the facility's compound probably waiting for their turn to be interviewed.

"Joblessness in Kenya is a national disaster. I am informed that EKA Hotel, along Mombasa Road advertised for only 5 jobs and all these graduates showed up. This is painful guys. To think about the number of people who have graduated from various universities this week hurts more," Kenyan blogger Xtian Dela (@xtiandela) captioned the photo on Twitter.

The Economic Survey released in April this year showed that Kenya's economy created 840,000 new jobs in 2018, 83.6 percent (762,000) of them being in the informal sector.

The report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) revealed that employment in the public sector went up to 83,300 people in 2017 to 84,200 in 2018.

On the other hand, the private sector, which accounted for 69.5 percent of the total employment grew by three percent in 2018.