Investing in digital skills will help to create jobs for youth

Instructors and students inside the Digitruck at Kabimoi Vocational Training Centre in Baringo County on May 24, 2025, during the graduation ceremony of 180 students. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

I recently met Cleophas Ekuom, a young man whose story speaks for many youth in Kenya. In his mid-twenties, he worked as a security guard responding to emergencies in Mombasa. During the night shifts, he would often scroll through his phone. He was not looking to pass time, he believed in a better future that offered more meaning after completion of his diploma in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Mr Ekuom, like many young Kenyans, had completed school, tried to find a decent job and stayed hopeful. However, as many say, hope does not pay rent or put food on the table. The tech job market in the formal sector had no space for him. One day, he came across an advert for a digital skills training programme. It did not require any prior experience, just curiosity and a willingness to learn. That single sign up changed the course of his life.