For four years, Onesmus Ouma trained to tell stories, but today his working day begins not in a newsroom but at a car wash.

After graduating with a degree in journalism from Multimedia University in 2020, Ouma expected to begin building a career in the profession he had trained for. Instead, the search for a job has taken him into work far from journalism.

“After graduation nilijua kwamba haitanichukua mda sana kupata kazi. Lakini hali ya maisha ni tofauti sana. Niemtoka shuleni 2021, nikaja hapa nje kutafutatafuta lakini sikufaulu,” Ouma tells TV47 Digital.

Ouma’s experience reflects a wide challenge identified in a new study by the Commission for University Education.

The study shows graduates take an average of 11.6 months to land their first job, with four in ten waiting more than a year to secure employment.

The study involving 102 graduate employees drawn from both public and private universities found out that the average graduate took 11.6 months to secure their first employment. 25.3% of graduates secured employment within six months of graduation, 34.7% within 6–12 months, while 40% took more than one year.

The findings expose a widening gap between what graduates believe they are prepared for and what employers expect. For some, however, the wait is more than a statistic. It is a prolonged search for an opportunity to finally work in the profession they trained for.

So what stands between graduates and that first opportunity?

Limited job opportunities are the biggest hurdle, followed by inadequate networks and lack of experience. It is a challenge Ouma knows too well having spent almost 2 years searching for employment.

“Kuna moja nili apply Switch TV, kuna ingine nili apply Standard Media, alafu ingine nika apply ya IEBC, lakini zote hakuna message nilipata hata kidogo,” Ouma describes how he started unsuccesfully job hunting in 2021.

Beyond the availability of jobs, the study also identifies problem solving and critical thinking skills as the biggest gap suggesting that some graduates may struggle to analyze challenges, make decisions and apply what they have learned to real workplace situations. Communication skills follow at 30 percent, pointing to difficulties in clearly expressing ideas, collaborating with colleagues and communicating effectively in professional settings.

For Ouma, the degree he earned in journalism remains a qualification for a career he is still hoping to build.