The government has underscored its commitment to job creation and enhancing household incomes through a four-pronged strategy: international labour mobility, digital jobs, local market employment, and the climate works program.
Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki spoke at his official residence in Karen on Tuesday during an appraisal and stocktaking briefing to track progress and explore ways to accelerate local and diaspora job creation.
The meting was attended by Cabinet Secretaries Dr. Alfred Mutua (Labour and Social Protection) and Dr. Margaret Ndung’u (Information, Communication and the Digital Economy), Principal Secretaries; Shadrack Mwadime (Labour and Skills Development), Roseline Njogu (Diaspora Affairs), John Tanui (Information, Communications and the Digital Economy), Dr. Esther Muoria (Technical, Vocational Edication and Training), Dr. Juma Mukhwana (Industry) and Geoffrey Kaituko (Shipping and Maritime Affairs), Amb. Isaiya Kabira (Secretary, Diaspora Affairs), Edith Okoki (Director General, National Employment Authority), Theresa Wasike ( Acting Director General, National Industrial Training Authority), Dr. Kipkirui Langat (CEO, TVET Authority), Prof. Kisilu Katainge (CEO, TVET CDACC), Dr. Alice Kandie (Director General, Kenya National Qualifications Authority), Henry Rithaa (CEO, Micro and Small Enterprise Authority) and Josiah Moriasi (CEO, Youth Enterprise Development Fund).
According to DP Kindiki, some of the interventions the government is implementing include finalising new legislative and policy frameworks, increasing access to decent opportunities both locally and internationally, and expediting bilateral labour agreements.
The DP also stated that the government is working to create a national skills inventory and strengthen regulations on private employment agencies in order to ensure more effective job creation strategies.
The DP highlighted the government’s focus on creating job opportunities in the digital sector, including the establishment of ICT hubs nationwide.
“The government seeks to create around 1,450 ICT hubs across Kenya; one in every ward. These ICT hubs are supposed to create digital jobs in content creation, business process, outsourcing, virtual jobs generally,” said DP Kindiki.
“We are in the process of taking stock of how far we have travelled. Already, 272 ICT hubs are operational. We want to escalate that programme to make sure we catch up with the milestones so that we deliver as expected by the manifesto before 2027.”
Kindiki also emphasised the government’s commitment to local job creation through ongoing affordable housing projects, noting that these initiatives are expected to provide direct employment opportunities for individuals and businesses in the construction and housing sectors.
“We are looking at job creation in terms of actual labour but also opportunities by supporting SMEs and businesses to be able to expand their capacity to be able to employ more people because they are making more sales ,” he said.
“We expect the juakali sector…. the informal sector to help us especially in the areas of making windows, doors and so forth and so on.”
According to Kindiki, the government is also focussing on job creation through public sector placements, with the DP noting significant progress in hiring teachers and workers in critical sectors.
“Already we have employed 72,000 teachers in the last two years, 3,300 TVET instructors, seafarers, and other people in the blue economy space,” he said.
In addition, Kindiki stated that the government has implemented a recognition of prior learning (RPL) certification process to assist individuals in obtaining formal qualifications based on their experience.
“Already 2,900 have been certified through this recognition of prior learning. An additional 4,000 through the industrial National Industrial Training Authority (NITA),” he said.
Despite the progress made, Kindiki acknowledged that there is still room for improvement.
“We have agreed to periodically meet to review where we are and we want to appeal to the people of Kenya to look at the multifaceted approaches that this government is looking at the issue of job creation.”
