The County Government of Makueni has recruited 60 graduates under the ninth cohort of its internship programme, providing young people with an opportunity to gain practical workplace experience across various county departments. The interns, drawn from all 30 wards in Makueni County, will serve for one year, with each ward contributing two graduates to the programme.
The Acting Chief Officer in charge of Education, ICT and Internship, Damaris Makau, said the programme brings together university graduates as well as diploma and certificate holders who have completed training in various fields. Makau spoke during the induction of the interns at the Makueni Integrated Vocational and Education Centre in Wote Town, Makueni Sub-County.
Graduates to Gain Workplace Experience
Makau said the recruits had completed courses including Law, Procurement, Environment and Engineering Plant Operation, among other disciplines.
“Students have graduated from various universities in the past two years. We have recruited graduates, diploma and certificate holders whom we will place in different departments,” Makau said.
She noted that the internship programme is designed to bridge the gap between classroom training and the workplace by giving young people an opportunity to apply their knowledge in real working environments. According to Makau, the interns will gain hands-on exposure within the county government while developing professional competencies that can improve their preparedness for employment and future career opportunities.
Interns Challenged to Demonstrate Professionalism
The Acting Chief Officer challenged the interns to take the one-year placement seriously, urging them to work hard, maintain discipline and make a positive contribution within their respective departments. She further encouraged the young professionals to uphold integrity, patriotism, transparency and accountability while carrying out their duties. The interns are expected to report to their respective workstations on September 15, 2026, marking the beginning of their one-year engagement with the county government.
Internship as a Pathway to Employment
One of the beneficiaries, Fridah Mwanthi, said the interns were looking forward to using the opportunity to build practical skills and professional experience that could improve their prospects of securing employment.
“We expect to learn and grow professionally because we would love to get skills that will help us in getting jobs,” Mwanthi said.
The programme provides a pathway for young people to strengthen their technical and professional competencies while gaining an understanding of workplace expectations. For diploma and certificate holders, including those trained through technical and vocational institutions, such opportunities can complement classroom-based training with practical exposure, helping graduates build experience needed to compete in an increasingly skills-driven labour market.
The Makueni internship programme therefore offers an avenue for graduates to transition from training into the workplace while contributing their skills to the delivery of county government services.