The Kenyan Government Announces Jitume Program to Equip Youths With Digital Skills
CS ICT and Digital Economy Eliud Owalo has established the first regional Jitume Laboratories in the counties of Uasin Gishu and Bungoma.
The Jitume program is a government initiative that aims to provide young people in Kenya with digital skills, e-services, and online opportunities.
Several ministries, including the Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and the Ministry of Labour, are implementing it.
The program will provide on-the-job training and online courses to young people from all 47 states, and upon completion, they will be certified.
CS Owalo hopes that the program will benefit at least one million young people across the country and reduce unemployment within three to five years.
In December 2022, President William Ruto launched the Jitume program, with the goal of building on the success of existing digital enablement programs such as Ajira Digital and the Kenya Youth Employment Programme.
The program has already deployed 17 Jitume Labs across the country, with more to follow by the end of February 2023.
Konza Technopolis will provide each Jitume Center with 100 Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with broadband connectivity, reliable power, security, and program coordinators.
The program’s first phase aims to establish two centers in each of the 47 counties by June 2023.
The Jitume program is a component of the government’s efforts to advance the digital sector. The government has identified major flagship projects such as citizen training and digital literacy improvement, fiber optic infrastructure development, hotspot and innovation hub establishment, and automation and digitization of core government services.
Bungoma County Governor Rt. Hon. Ken Lusaka and Uasin Gishu County Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim have both pledged to support the digital economy program in their respective counties.
