Google, Intel, Apple Want to Employ Kenyans, Says Ruto

President William Ruto during his State Visit to the US last week announced that numerous international digital companies, including Google, Intel, and Apple, have expressed interest in hiring Kenyan employees.

According to Ruto, these companies have requested a staggering total of around 300,000 individuals to join their workforce. President Ruto shared this exciting news during a service at Deliverance Church International in Lang’ata, Nairobi on Sunday. In order to facilitate employment opportunities for Kenyan youths in the digital industry worldwide, the government intends to set up Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) hubs complete with computers and essential amenities in all of the wards. The main objective of these facilities is to train and hone the upcoming generation, preparing them for jobs in digital domains.

This initiative is a crucial aspect of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto which aims to tackle youth unemployment and create more opportunities for the country’s future generation. On Friday, President Ruto emphasized the potential of the internet in generating employment opportunities for young people. He shared the progress already made by the government, having issued 22,000 computers in each TVET institution and launching digital superhighway projects alongside ICT CS Eliud Owalo. Ruto also stated that the government has allocated funds in the budget for ICT infrastructure.

“We are going to construct ICT hubs in every ward in Kenya where we will put computers and other facilities so that 300,400, 500 youths can get digital jobs,” he said.

Ruto has assigned the responsibility of establishing hubs in the wards to Members of Parliament. They have been instructed to utilize the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to construct the buildings, while the equipment will be provided by the government. Ruto has also communicated the administration’s intention to leverage these ICT hubs to drive e-commerce and government services.

Meanwhile, ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has emphasized the unwavering dedication of the Kenya Kwanza government to upholding media freedom. In an address on Thursday, Owalo stressed the significance of information accessibility in promoting good governance and emphasized the importance of allowing the media to operate without any hindrance. The CS reiterated Ruto’s administration’s desire for the media to fully exercise their freedom as enshrined in the constitution.