Should The ‘Older Generation’ Retire & Give Room To Young & Fresh Candidates?

By Florence Mukunya,

Unemployment among the young generation is a thorny issue in Kenya and probably in other countries. Kenyan universities are continually graduating young people who tarmac for many years without landing a job. It’s for this reason that some graduates feel that employees belonging to the older generation should retire and go home.

Recently I overheard a heated debate amongst a group of young men; expressing the need for employees who are above sixty years of age to go home relax and retire to bliss.

Some of the sentiments expressed included.
1 ‘Old employees should go home and give us a chance to showcase our skills and to at least put our hard earned degrees to work’

2 ‘Since we became the digital nation, firms in Kenya need young people like us, after all we are the digital generation and we understand working with digital machines than some of the old people in the offices’

Also I came across an article on Friday’s Standard  written by Winsley Masese.

The writer talks of generation Y, “They are considered computer literate, hungry for knowledge and innovative.”

He adds that, “Employers’ preference of this group arises from the general belief that the youth are energetic, vibrant and creative.”

It’s for this reason I choose to find out views from other Kenyans concerning this issue.

Paul Mutisya an industrial worker in Kisumu, expresses the feeling that, someone who has reached retirement age should not necessarily go home. He gives an example of Sir Charles Jojo who has worked till his nineties.

He adds that, “The old generation employees should be left to do the non active duties like giving long range and strategic solutions in the company but the day to day work that requires creativity and quick thinking should be left to the young generation.”

Mercy Maseko who works in a government office is of a different opinion; her experience with the old generation has taught her that once you reach the retirement age one should just go home.

She gives of an example of something that happened at her work place.

“An employee needed to create a LinkedIn profile something that normally takes you an hour or less, the guy took a whole one week,” says Ms Maseko.

She continues to say that, “Since all firms have embraced technology which most aged employees might be not familiar with; it’s in my opinion that they retire.”

Catherine Musau, a recent graduate who is looking for a job completely feels those in the retirement age should go home.

“They should give us a chance to exercise what we have learnt in school, not forgetting that if they do not leave office we will not get the chance of amassing the three years experience we keep seeing in job adverts,” Ms Musau says

What’s your take, should the older generation employees retire?

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