On 7^th February 2024, The Kenya Private Sector Alliance, through the Ajira digital program, took part in the Freedom Café organized by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom aimed at analyzing the role of the Ajira Digital program in building the digital economy. The event comes on the backdrop of a study conducted by Siasa Place titled FUATILIA AHADI, ‘Navigating the transition from education to the digital labour market' with a focus on Ajira Digital Centers in Mombasa, Kakamega, and Homabay counties.

Present during the event was John Kiria, Director of ICT, State Department For ICT & Digital Economy; Stefan Schott, Project Director, and Global Partnership Hub Director-Friedrich Naumann Foundation; Nerima Wako, CEO of Siasa Place while KEPSA was represented by Gracemary Muchiri, the project manager of Ajira Digital, at KEPSA.

The study focused on several thematic areas guided by the transition from education to the digital labour market. According to Nerima Wako, CEO of Siasa Place, the study was informed by how quickly we are adopting tech and if young people have access to job opportunities so that they can participate in governance processes. Key areas of focus were the existence and operations of Ajira centers, the employment status of youths transitioning to the labor market, and the role and effectiveness of village polytechnics and vocational training colleges. You can access the full report here. As Stefan Schott, Project Director and Global Partnership Hub Director-Friedrich Naumann Foundation, captured it, “Young talent is a great asset, 1 million young people graduate every year and many have challenges transitioning into the labour market, this begs the question does the Ajira idea work and how can we make it even better to make this transition easier.”

On the part of the Kenya Private sector Alliance, Gracemary Muchiri gave an overview of the program, from its initiation and what to look forward to in the future. A key highlight was the 2020 Judiciary Digitization Pilot that enabled electronic case file management, successfully digitizing 482 courts and improving efficiency and access to justice.  Women made up 59% of the workforce involved, which created jobs for 3,678 individuals. The Ajira digital program has also created inclusive and supportive programs for the purpose of Gender and social inclusion. On what the future holds, she highlighted the World Economic Forum report 2025 that pinpointed the following global trends that will influence the next phase of upskilling, job creation, and placement;

• Technological Disruption & Workforce Adaptation
• Shifts in Labor Market & Job Creation
• Global Economic & Digital Job Growth
• Green Economy & Sustainability Jobs
• Big Tech’s Influence on Workforce Development

Regarding challenges like infrastructure and accessibility, John Kiria, Director of ICT for the State Department For ICT & Digital Economy, explained that early Constituency Innovation Hubs depended on local leaders support because many members of parliament were initially doubtful.  However, their success has encouraged other leaders to request hubs for their constituencies.  The initial pilot program's success has set in motion plans to expand the hubs to every ward nationwide to improve access.  He also discussed the private sector's role in job placement acknowledging that the study will go a long way in providing invaluable insights that will shape the employment agenda in the country.

Amina Omari, an Ajira digital work participant from Kakamega, credited the digital skills gained from the program for enabling her to market businesses online.