NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 12 – President William Ruto has handed a Sh163 million cheque to support 816 young Kenyans headed overseas for work under the Kazi Majuu programme.
Speaking in Kakamega on Tuesday during the International Youth Day, the President said the funds will cover airfares, visas, and settlement costs, helping the beneficiaries take up jobs abroad in safe and decent conditions.
“The single most decisive force that will shape Kenya’s destiny is not oil, gold, or any other natural resource it is our youth,” Ruto stated.
“They are the builders of today, the architects of our future, and the driving engine powering Kenya’s rise to greatness.”
According to the government, the Kazi Majuu support is part of a broader labour mobility push that has already seen 420,000 youth secure jobs overseas in the past two and a half years.
Through the Uwezo Fund, 225 youth have so far been assisted to travel abroad, while the Youth Enterprise Development Fund has provided Sh244 million to 2,271 young people for mobility readiness and pre-departure training.
Ruto outlined his administration’s multi-pronged youth jobs agenda from expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to scaling up the Affordable Housing Programme, the Climate WorX and Kandarasi Mtaani projects, and digital economy opportunities.
President Ruto noted that the TVET enrolment has grown from 180,000 in 2018 to over 700,000, with a target of two million by the end of 2025.
In housing, the President said 161,000 units are under construction, employing 320,000 people, with that figure expected to double in two months.
Climate WorX has 45,000 young people restoring ecosystems and upgrading urban spaces, a number set to rise to 113,000. Kandarasi Mtaani will add 200,000 more in housing and market projects.
The President also highlighted the Hustler Fund’s Sh72 billion in disbursements to 26 million Kenyans, with five million improving their credit scores, and the expansion of digital infrastructure 24,000km of fibre, 1,494 public Wi-Fi hotspots, and hundreds of digital hubs linking nearly 300,000 youth to online work.
“Every year, nearly 800,000 young Kenyans enter the labour market. We are determined not only to create jobs, but to equip them with future-ready skills to thrive in the economy of the 21st century,” Ruto said.
