Nairobi, April 13 -- I recently delivered a public lecture at one of the private faith-based universities. One of the questions the students sought to know was, 'Why is it that in the job market, our counterparts from public universities get preferred to us?" I took time to encourage them that hard work and excellence rise above such perceptions. However, the question stayed with me.

Whether this assumption was grounded in reality or shaped by perception, it was stemming from the nature of the competitive job market young graduates must navigate once the pomp and flair of graduation ceremonies fade.

According to the latest University Statistics 2024/2025 by the Commission for University Education (CUE), there were 123,928 fresh graduate...