Feature: Kenyan youth embrace digital skills amid growing gig economy

The Star

2 days ago

NAIROBI, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Sitting on a plastic chair at an information and communications technology (ICT) center in Ndhiwa town, about 366 km from Nairobi, Kenya's capital, Jackline Juma's fingers move swiftly as she taps on the computer keyboard.
The 19-year-old high school graduate occasionally glances at the computer screen to check for errors before continuing to type. "I came to this center for training after completing Form Four in 2024 so that I can gain digital skills to use in life," Juma said.
She said that without acquiring these skills, she would struggle to advance her education, find a job, or even communicate effectively.
Juma is one of many young people in rural areas who visit such centers across the East African nation daily, eager to acquire new skills that can help them benefit from the growing opportunities in the gig economy.
At the centers, the youth immerse themselves in various digital literacy programs, ranging from basic computer skills to more advanced ones such as coding, online entrepreneurship, data entry, virtual assistance, app and web development, and graphic design.
The skills they are acquiring are helping them explore new career paths in the gig economy, including freelancing, digital content creation, virtual assistance, online surveys, transcription, and data entry.
Kevin Aroka, manager of the ICT center, said the free training offered under the government-run Ajira Digital Program is equipping young people with essential digital skills.
"Many youth now know that traditional employment opportunities have shrunk and are therefore exploring digital careers such as transcribing, content creation, and data entry," he said.
The training, Aroka added, not only enhances their digital literacy but also prepares them for the expanding gig economy. Besides the courses that help the youth earn money online, Aroka said they also teach financial literacy and online work safety.
He said that there are three other such centers in Ndhiwa, each training at least 50 students every three months.
"Here in Kosewe, we have trained about 3,394 young people; in Kobodo, 1,930; in Ratanga, 2,851; and in Pala, 900. This has been over about two years, and many of them are now earning from the gig economy," he said, noting that the training is supported by the area's Constituency Development Fund.
According to Aroka, one of the notable jobs completed by the center's digital skills graduates was transcribing documents for the Judiciary.
"The learners were earning up to 25,000 shillings (about 193 U.S. dollars) a month from the work. This encouraged many others to enroll in the program, and now a good number are earning from online jobs," he said.
The training program is one of the Kenyan government's job creation initiatives. So far, the government has established over 400 ICT centers across the country, providing training in online work opportunities, including freelancing and digital marketing, to over 500,000 people, according to John Tanui, principal secretary of the State Department for ICT and Digital Economy.
Kenyan President William Ruto said recently that his government is using digital technology and innovation to create jobs and address the unemployment challenge in the country, where 30 percent of young people are jobless. The goal, he said, is to create a community of digital workers across Kenya, making it easier for global firms to hire young people in the country.
According to the Mastercard Foundation, some 1.2 million Kenyan workers, most of whom operate informally, are employed in the gig economy, which is estimated to be worth 109 million dollars annually.
For Brighton Odhiambo, one of the trainees, the future of work in Kenya, as in many parts of the world, is online. He said he plans to learn as many digital skills as possible so he can become versatile and earn a good income from the gig economy.