Youth to benefit from Jitume digital jobs, says Owalo
Close to 140,000 jobs have been created through the Jitume Digital Empowerment program last year, Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owalo says.
He also revealed that over the same period, some 390,000 youths have received digital training through the Jitume digital hubs across the country.
Speaking during the launch of Jitume ICT hub in Ruiru town on Monday, Owalo said the government’s digital transformation agenda has been impactful to several youth, enabling them to earn monthly while working remotely.
Supportive government
“The government has been supportive through the construction and equipping of Jitume ICT hubs in almost all the constituencies across the country and installing them with internet connectivity,” he stated.
The program which is part of the government’s digital transformation agenda, he added, aims at providing digital skills, e-services, and online opportunities to young people across the country.
Digital hubs
Owalo, accompanied by Ruiru MP Simon King’ara, divulged that the ministry has also created 139,000 digital jobs for the youth through the program which is designed to give Kenyan youth a platform to make a decent living and beat the unemployment crisis in the country.
The program is being implemented by several ministries including the Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and the Ministry of Labour.
“This is a game changer and it is transformational and it is the only way to sort out the unemployment problem we have as a country. I urge our youth to take this chance and enrol with the program,” Owalo said.
He disclosed that plans are under way to set up 1,450 digital hubs across the country adding that Members of Parliament made an amendment to the NG-CDF Act allowing them to utilise three per cent of the annual allocation to set up the hubs in all wards within their respective constituencies.
“We are partnering with the MPs to ensure the success of this program. After they set up the hubs, our work will be equipping them, facilitating training, ensuring there’s internet connectivity and connecting the youths with global tech firms. Our youths will be working remotely for firms in different countries,” Owalo said.
He maintained that within three to five years, the program will benefit at least one million young people across the country and reduce unemployment.
Owalo also indicated that the Ministry has embarked on an ambitious plan to connect 25,000 markets with the internet.
Business operations
He said that the program is expected to revolutionise business operations for traders who will now be able to trade online from the comfort of their stalls.
“We have also partnered with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company to use their transmission lines to distribute fibre cables. We want to achieve a last mile connectivity of the internet as part of the government’s digitisation and economic transformation agenda,” the CS said.
King’ara on his part said about 4,000 youth from Ruiru are set to benefit from an online job and hailed the government for the initiative.
He added that there are plans to establish ICT hubs in each of the eight wards of the constituency.
“At least 600 youths can now be trained at the ICT Hub in Ruiru in one day. It offers hundreds of schools and college leavers opportunities to employ themselves. We thank President William Ruto’s government for the project,” said King’ara.
