1.2m young Kenyans tap digital economy, potential high

As jobs are getting fewer and fewer, young Kenyans are increasingly going digital tp create employment for themselves.

John Bosco Odima, a computer science student at a local university, says he started buying and selling goods online after he felt bad nagging his parents for pocket money.

“When corona came and institutions were closed, I had to look for work so when we opened I would not ask for money from my parents. I could see they were struggling,” Odima said.

The 21-year-old buys mostly electronic gadgets cheaply and sells them at a profit.

He has also ventured into the betting business, analysing games and providing tips through social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook.

Although he refused to say how much he earns from his ventures, he says he does not ask his parents for money matters anymore.

Like Odima, Justin Mwajombo analyses games from around the world and gives tips to betting enthusiasts at a fee.

“It is a decent way to earn something. I make do with the small amounts I get and I no longer nag people for money,” says Mwajombo, who dropped out of college due to lack of  fees.

This year, the number of young people working online has doubled to 1.2 million, Ehud Gachugu said.

He is the director of Ajira Digital and Youth Employment at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance.

Ajira is one of the programmes under the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs that intends to make Kenya an out-sourcing hub by 2030.

It contributes to Vision 2030’s Economic and Macro pillars

Gachugu on Friday attributed the increase to the Covid-19 pandemic, which shut down key economic sectors, forcing companies to shut down or lay off employees.

“Since last year, we have seen a doubling of number of young people who are earning from online platforms. This means young Kenyans are increasingly tech savvy,” Gachugu said.

He spoke at the Swahilipot during a training for Mombasa youth on how to leverage on online platforms to boost or start their business.

“We had an army of trained young people who were able to support businesses in various technology-related support services,” Gachugu noted.

This catalysed the growth of the digital economy.

“It was a new lease on life for the young people,”

The government has been investing significantly in the internet and allowing young people in remote areas to access devices.

Kenya has over 350 hubs that are government-owned. The government ensures they are equipped with internet and devices.

“This gives young people in remote areas access to the internet and enabling devices,”Gachugu said.

Though it is slow process, Kenya has made tremendous progress as a country in the digital space ad tat the forefront of the digital economy in the region.

“There is no comparative program that is doing similar work in the region,” said Gachugu.

The director said he has been meeting with different businesspeople and the private sector to be able discuss how they can continue to support the economy by supporting the growth of online work.

Kepsa, he said, sets ups centres, either virtual or physical, where young people can be trained.

This it does through a partnership with Mastercard Foundation.

The apex private sector body also partners with companies with online resources where young people can self-learn and train themselves.

They are now able to navigate through the digital technological ecosystem and unlock opportunities for themselves.

“We establish how many people we are able to help access information, training and our resources year on year and able to work,” said Gachugu.

However, the director said training is not the end but a means.

“Ajira does not do training but introduces work readiness and helping young people see the opportunities for work in the digital economy,” said Gachugu.

 He said they are trying to attract more partners to expand the programme.

“Our work is to ensure higher uptake and partnerships with businesses across the country,” he said.

However, there are cultural issues and barriers that prevent young people from working, especially the young girls, who are more affected than boys.

“However, this generation of young people we are currently supportin is defying those cultural issues and has been able to rise above that and acquire those skills on their own,” Gachugu said.

“For example, in North Eastern, we have spaces where we can see young girls taking up technological courses.

“The uptake is still low but we have interventions that help to bring this message to light and the importance of involving young people from those regions,” said Gachugu.

He said they want to ensure there is equality throughout the country to be able to make the Ajira programme a success.

But all this is not without challenges, the biggest of which, Gachugu said, is the attitude towards online work.

“Many young people still think online work is not work. Our message is that online work is work. We have testimonies of young people who have built strong careers by doing online work.

“It is not new. It’s only that the message has not been amplified enough. And so we need to encourage our people to adopt the right attitude towards online work,” Gachugu noted.

Kenya has continued to develop a progressive regulatory environment.

Data protection and cyber security are areas that are being addressed by the government.

(Edited by V. Graham)