Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga Tuesday presided over the farewell ceremony of the fifth batch of interns, who have completed their one-year-paid internship programme with the County Government of Nyeri.
The 199 interns were appointed in the month of October last year by the County Public Service Board to serve at the County Government of Nyeri. Out of these, 191 reported jobs immediately.
A year later, 20 of them were absorbed by the County Government of Nyeri after undergoing the interview process as per the County Public Service Board regulations.
Speaking during the occasion, Kahiga said throughout their internship period, the interns gained real-world work experience by working closely with their supervisors and got an opportunity to engage in projects from inception to execution stages.
He added that the County Government endeavoured to build the capacity of the interns through training, whereby they were taken through engagement forums on cross-cutting issues, including Devolved Government Structure and County Government Act, National values and Principles and Public Ethics & Code of Conduct, Drug and Substance Abuse at the workplace, Human Resource Policies and procedures Manual 2016 and Signing of the code of conduct.
He assured them that they will be considered for future job openings since they already had the requisite skills required.
The County boss continued to say that the Department of County Public Service Management monitors the progress of the interns, facilitates mentorship, and organises training sessions to enhance their professional growth.
By effectively managing the programme, the department ensures that the interns receive meaningful and impactful experiences while also contributing to the county’s operations and service delivery.
He added that the programme emphasized professional growth and skills enhancement, ensuring that the interns have gained practical experience relevant to their fields of study, developed soft skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, and improved technical skills.
The diverse range of activities provided the interns with a well-rounded experience, preparing them for future career opportunities in both the public and private sectors.
During the ceremony, 20 interns were absorbed by the County Government, and 23 others exited public service to join other Public and Private organization of their choice. The remaining 148 interns received certificates and recommendation letters.
“The programme has achieved its primary objective of providing opportunities for youth empowerment and skills development,” said Kahiga.
He called upon the interns to remain good ambassadors of the County Government of Nyeri whenever they will be and wished them all the best as they face the future ahead of them.
By Beth Ndirangu
