Ruto Launches KSh2 Billion NextGen.Ke Initiative to Target 100,000 Youth Placements
News Updated: 24 July 2026 14:00 EAT
Photo courtesy: President William Ruto speaking during the Kenya partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and Kenya Private Sector Alliance,Next Generation of Kenya Youths
The Government of Kenya has launched a landmark youth initiative aimed at bridging the gap between academic qualifications and job-market readiness through structured private-sector experience. The Next Generation of Kenya Youth Employment Programme (NextGen.Ke), officially unveiled at State House, Nairobi, establishes a strategic partnership between the state, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
Speaking during the launch, President William Ruto reiterated the administration's commitment to prioritizing young people in the national development agenda. The initial phase of the NextGen.Ke project will directly empower 30,000 young Kenyans. Over the next three years, the government and its partners plan to scale up the initiative to reach over 100,000 youth nationwide.
To jumpstart the rollout, 15,000 graduates will receive structured, stipend-supported internships across various private-sector companies. Beyond practical workplace exposure, the programme incorporates a comprehensive capacity-building model. Non-internship participants will undergo specialized training covering entrepreneurship, financial literacy, life skills, and essential workplace readiness.
The Kenyan government has committed KSh2 billion to support the immediate implementation of the project, with budget projections slated to rise to KSh5 billion in upcoming financial cycles. Emphasizing the urgency of execution, President Ruto issued a direct order during the event to scale the initial cohort from a sample of 500 youth to 10,000 active placements within three months.
Highlighting previous success stories, the President pointed to the transition of 100,000 teacher interns into permanent, pensionable civil service jobs, as well as the placement of 5,600 university, college, and TVET graduates into the Affordable Housing scheme. The administration plans to recruit another 5,000 housing interns for the next phase.
Efforts to formalize skills across the informal sector are also expanding. Through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program, 2,881 artisans—including 180 women—have been formally certified to access formal contracts. Following high demand, government-funded artisan certifications have been expanded to target 40,000 vulnerable skilled youth, fully covering exam and administrative costs.
Broader youth empowerment schemes have already equipped over 820,000 young people with technical skills, with 122,000 receiving capital grants and loans to start enterprises. Another 90,000 youth are actively engaged in practical, on-the-job training with the Department of Youth.
In the digital sphere, government programs have trained 1.9 million citizens, facilitating the creation of 350,000 digital jobs. Kenya continues to solidifying its position as a global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub, attracting multinational players such as Teleperformance at Two Rivers and CCI, which currently employs 5,000 youth handling offshore operations for US-based firms. Furthermore, government-backed labor migration programs have placed over 580,000 young Kenyans in employment opportunities abroad.
To sustain this momentum, the government is introducing 3- to 6-month digital skills training courses and proposing a co-funding framework where private-sector partners cover 20% to 25% (or a minimum of KSh5,000) of intern stipends in exchange for tax incentives. Legislative amendments will also be introduced in Parliament to establish standard workplace internships as a permanent feature of Kenya's education system.
Ultimately, national strategy is shifting toward positioning highly qualified, English-speaking human capital and tech service exports as the primary engine to catapult Kenya into a first-world economy.
Tags: Edit Editor's Pick Editors choice President William Ruto Signs Signs Media Kenya Limited Signs Tv Signsmedia Signstv Signstvkenya Unep United Nations Environment Programme William Samoei Ruto WSR Kenya Private Sector Alliance KEPSA NextGen.Ke The Next Generation of Kenya Youth Employment Programme State House Kenya
Share this article
FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD