•Audio recordings of court sessions will be uploaded on Ajira online platform
•Interested youth can pick a session, transcribe it and file back for payment
Image: EUTYCAS MUCHIRI
The Judiciary and the Ministry of Information will digitise court proceedings from July.
The automation will be rolled in a partnership aimed at transcribing all court proceedings, ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng said.
The digitisation will ease court operations and archiving as well create jobs for the youth. Transcriptions will be through Ajira Digital Program.
Ochieng explained that audio recordings of court sessions will be uploaded on Ajira online platform where those interested can pick a session, transcribe it and file back for pay.
Those signed up on the programme will also be engaged in digitising land records, he said.
Ajira Digital Program seeks to introduce online work to thousands of Kenyan youths.
The programme provides the infrastructure, training, mentorship and incubation to youths to help them seek and work on jobs online.
Since its launch, the program has been rolled out with 50 per cent of constituencies already covered. Ajira clubs have been set up in universities.
The programme will have 1,000 constituency innovation centres which will provide tools computers, internet and capacity building for youths to engage in online jobs.
"Today's economy is being led by information technology. Therefore, the future of work is online. Ajira digital thus provides a platform to prepare our youths for digital job markets," the PS said.
Ajira Digital enables university students to take up jobs that they can handle when not in class and they can make money to fund their studies.
Crowd-sourcing, where people do the jobs online without necessary converging in the same room, will generate over $15 billion every year by 2022, Ochieng said.
The Ajira Digital Program is intended to create over a million jobs by June .
Transcription, data entry, software development, content production are some of the digital jobs available on the program.
The Ajira portal provides a platform for those in other technical jobs to profile themselves.
"If you are a plumber, a carpenter, an engineer or other skilled person in a given area you can be certified on the portal where those looking for your services can easily contact you for a job," he said.
The government is partnering with counties and constituencies to setup and host innovation centres. The ministry will provide the infrastructure.
"For universities, Ajira Clubs are supposed not only to give them jobs but also provide them mentorship to incubate their ideas so that they can create their own jobs," he said.
"Some youths are too impatient they want instant jobs once they enrol in the Ajira programme. But we are urging them to be patient. They should not only focus on white collar jobs but pursue many other opportunities available to earn a living, " the PS added.