Young people in Uasin Gishu County are using digital skills acquired at the Jitume Digital Hub at Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) to earn income online, support their education and improve their employment prospects. Among them is 24-year-old Emmanuel Kiprop, who joined the hub in 2023 seeking skills that would improve his chances of finding work. Three years later, he earns more than Sh25,000 monthly from online tasks and voluntarily trains other young people interested in digital employment.
Kiprop, one of the hub’s first trainees, specialises in 2D and 3D annotation, a process that involves identifying and labelling objects in images and three-dimensional environments for use in digital applications. He said he had progressed from performing basic annotation tasks to reviewing work completed by other workers, demonstrating how digital skills can create opportunities for professional growth.
“The Jitume Digital Hub has played an important role in my personal and professional development,” Kiprop said, adding that his earnings had enabled him to purchase a laptop and improve his capacity to work online.
He said some of the young people he had trained had also secured online jobs, although scams and fraudulent job offers remained a major concern. Kiprop further cited institutional internet restrictions that sometimes limit access to online work platforms, urging young people to acquire relevant skills while remaining cautious when pursuing online opportunities.
Online Work Helps Trainee Plan Return to College
For Peter Tanui, another beneficiary of the programme, online work has provided a means of meeting daily expenses while saving towards completing his education. Tanui began training at the hub in 2024 after financial difficulties forced him to discontinue a Diploma in Information Technology at RVTTI.
He said income from online tasks had helped him pay rent and cover basic needs as he worked towards returning to college.
“The online job is fairly paying, and my goal is to go back to school and complete my studies,” he said.
However, Tanui noted that the hub’s 5 p.m. closing time limited the number of hours he could work, particularly for trainees without personal computers. He called for extended operating hours to give young people more time to access digital work opportunities. His experience illustrates how online employment can provide an alternative source of income for students and young people facing financial barriers to education.
Jitume Hub Trains Thousands of Young People
Graham Kituzi, Head of the Department of e-Learning and External Linkages at RVTTI, said the hub began operations in October 2023 before its official launch by Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Principal Secretary Eng. John Tanui on October 25, 2024. According to Kituzi, the facility had trained 22 cohorts comprising approximately 2,500 trainees and provided 100 computers for digital training and online work.
He said beneficiaries had cumulatively earned about Sh5 million through activities including digital marketing, financial markets, government securities, forex trading and other online tasks. Approximately 1,600 trainees were actively earning from online work within or outside the hub, he added.
The facility also offers free computer laboratory access to RVTTI students and young people from the surrounding community, although fewer than 100 community members were regular users. The figures highlight the potential of digital skills programmes to connect young people with income-generating opportunities beyond traditional employment.
Regional Restrictions Limit Access to Online Jobs
Despite the progress, Kituzi said some international online work platforms had introduced regional restrictions that reduced Kenyan workers’ access to certain high-paying tasks. He called for the development of more locally sourced digital work opportunities so that trained young people could apply their skills and earn income without depending entirely on foreign platforms.
“We need to create more local opportunities for young people who have acquired digital skills, including engaging Jitume hubs to provide selected digital services for Government agencies,” he said.
Kituzi suggested that agencies such as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) could explore opportunities to engage trained youth in areas such as tax education and user support.
He also proposed that the Social Health Authority (SHA) consider opportunities for skilled young people to contribute to digital systems, subject to the agencies’ needs and applicable requirements. Such partnerships could help connect digital training with practical work assignments while expanding the market for locally developed digital services.
Computer Shortage and Internet Access Remain Challenges
The RVTTI hub continues to face infrastructure constraints that could limit its ability to accommodate more trainees. Kituzi said the facility required approximately 200 additional computers with Core i5 processors or higher to support more users and handle demanding digital tasks. He also reported occasional internet connectivity challenges, prompting the institution to supplement government-provided services through its approved budget.
The additional connection had improved internet speeds to approximately 100 megabits per second, he said, while emphasising the need for sustained investment in reliable connectivity.
The hub is not operating around the clock because of staffing and security concerns. However, discussions were underway to accommodate periods when online tasks are most active, including at night.
Kituzi also pointed to the need for a clear computer maintenance policy and better monitoring of equipment use to assess the return on investment in digital infrastructure. Addressing these challenges could improve access to training, increase the time available for online work and help more young people benefit from the facility.
RVTTI Explores Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering
Beyond online work, RVTTI is exploring training in artificial intelligence and software engineering to prepare young people to develop technology solutions for local challenges. Kituzi said the institution wanted to equip trainees with the skills to build locally relevant AI models and digital products rather than relying entirely on technologies developed elsewhere.
“We want to develop AI models to solve local problems instead of relying on international ones, while equipping young people with the skills to develop solutions that address challenges in their communities,” he said.
The proposed direction could expand opportunities for young people to move from performing online tasks to developing software, building digital businesses and creating technology-based solutions. It also reflects the growing importance of advanced digital competencies alongside foundational skills such as digital marketing, data annotation and online communication.
Jitume Programme Targets Digital Employment Growth
President William Ruto launched the Jitume programme in December 2022 to expand young people’s access to digital skills, government e-services and online employment opportunities. The initiative set out to support the creation of more than one million digital jobs within five years and brings together several government ministries responsible for information and communications, education, foreign affairs and labour.
Its infrastructure plan includes 47 Centres of ICT Excellence, one in each county, and 1,450 ward-level ICT hubs intended to widen access to digital training and services. Through facilities such as the RVTTI hub, young people can access computers, training and online courses designed to improve their readiness for digital work.
The experience of Kiprop and Tanui demonstrates how such facilities can help young people earn income, develop practical competencies and pursue further education. However, expanding the programme’s impact will require reliable internet, adequate equipment, stronger safeguards against online scams and a steady supply of legitimate digital work.
For Kenya’s TVET sector, the next step is to ensure that digital training translates into sustainable livelihoods by linking skilled young people with employers, government agencies and businesses that need their services.