“Employment Didn’t Give me Enough Security”. Why Entrepreneurship has Become an Opportunity and Security Measure for the Kenyan Middle Class

Abstract This paper addresses the current appeal which entrepreneurship has among many better-off Kenyans. The paradoxical impression that Kenyans give up stable and secure employment to venture into their own business is resolved by looking at it from three different angles. First, the article looks into how employment is perceived today by Kenyans and shows that fixed employment has lost a lot of the attraction it used to hold both for those who are employed and those who left employment behind. Second, the concept of entrepreneurship is scrutinized by addressing the government’s changing stance towards small businesses and by questioning the common characteristic of the entrepreneur as a risk-taker. It is argued that against the background of widespread governmental support, entrepreneurship should instead be viewed as a security strategy in its own right. Third, the benefits of entrepreneurship, which employment cannot offer, are highlighted. The article thus explains Kenyan views on entrepreneurship ...