Determinants of Entrepreneurial Intentions among Kenyan College Graduates

Abstract

Kenya has a population of approximately 34 million with those aged 35 years and below making up over 75% of the population. In 2003 and 2005, when the national unemployment level stood at 40%, the youth accounted for about 78% and 67% of the national unemployment in the two years respectively. Most recent college and university graduates fall in this category and it is becoming increasingly necessary to get more and more of them to engage in self-employment. This requires a concerted effort to change college students’ perceptions towards self-employment. The current qualitative study focuses on the role that colleges can play in enhancing entrepreneurial intentions among the youth. The college environments and exposure to entrepreneurship experiences are found to be two malleable antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions working through self-efficacy and perceptions of desirability.