The Government has announced that a total of 39,361 civil servants are expected to retire within the next five years based on the June 2024 payroll to pave the way for the youths to take up positions in the public service and be empowered economically.
This action follows several austerity measures to be undertaken during the Financial Year 2024/2025 including a reorganization of the government declared by the President on Friday, 5th July 2024 in response to public feedback that public servants who reach the retirement age of 60 to be released to retire immediately, thus paving the way for the hiring of younger individuals.
These measures aim to fulfill the President William Ruto’s commitment to continually and effectively listen to the people and incorporate their contributions into policy-making and governance.
Speaking to the media in Nairobi, Government Spokesperson Dr. Isaac Mwaura reported that this Presidential directive is being implemented where an additional 7,477 officers have already retired between September 13, 2023 and June 30, 2024 from State Departments, County Executives, and County Assemblies.
According to the Government Spokesperson, the payroll also indicates that 43,976 officers are aged 55 years and above and are expected to retire between the year 2024 to 2029, with 7,662 expected to retire in this financial year alone.
Dr. Mwaura added that 39,441 officers are serving the government on contractual terms, with their contracts expiring on various dates depending on their periods of engagement.
“This creates 46,838 job opportunities for our jobless youth to serve in the government either on permanent or contractual terms upon the retirement and expiry of current contracts,” stressed Dr. Mwaura.
He at the same time cited the commemoration of this year’s International Youth Day, celebrating the vibrancy, creativity, and resilience of the Kenyan youth under the theme ‘From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development’ that highlights the transformative potential of digital innovation in driving meaningful change and fostering sustainable development not only in Kenya but globally.
Dr. Mwaura observed that the celebrations come at a time when the country has implemented several measures to ensure progressive youth empowerment in line with THE BETA PLAN, under the newly constituted Broad-Based Government (BBG) towards a more inclusive national development agenda.
The Government Spokesperson highlighted that the Plan has achieved a lot within its 5th Pillar, Digital Superhighway and Creative Economy including digitalization of 17,668 government services within the first one-and-a-half years against a 5-year target of 5,000, exceeding the target by over 300 percent as Kenyans can now make online transactions without requiring personal connections.
He disclosed that the government has also established 274 Digital Hubs to create job opportunities for young people across the country, for instance, the Jitume hub in Rift Valley Institute of Technology (RVIST) has employed over 200 youths who in turn have generated over Sh3,000,000 in revenue.
Further, Dr. Mwaura stated that the Government has trained more than 516,505 youth in digital skills, enabling them to pursue online job opportunities and build skills for example the Niche AI in Nakuru has created over 152,711 digital jobs, reducing unemployment levels in the country.
“We have established 1,360 Wi-Fi hotspots across 47 counties, providing free internet access for online transactions. For example, the hotspot in various markets across the country like Githurai, has enabled traders to receive more orders and increase their revenue, employ more people and enabled youth to run online shops,” he disclosed.
In addition, Dr. Mwaura said that the Government has activated the local assembly of 1.5 million affordable smart-enabled phones, retailing at Sh7,500 per unit, available at Safaricom and Jamii Telkom outlets, with 579,000 units already sold thus bridging the digital gap, particularly in rural areas, elevating Kenya as a regional manufacturing hub and in effect promoting brand Kenya.
He recalled that the Government had established the Open University of Kenya in October 2023 to facilitate virtual learning and universal access to education with 3,289 students being admitted to the University at Konza Technopolis which is a 54 percent increase from 1 500 a month ago.
“The University has created jobs and occasioned heightened knowledge and technology transfer,” he remarked, adding that for instance, Kerubo, who is a student at the University, is benefiting from this opportunity by upgrading from a diploma to a degree while working.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mwaura alluding to the Government’s promise through the BETA PLAN to roll out 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables, stressed that in less than two years 10,219 kilometres of Fibre Optic cables have been rolled out and re-engineered to utilize KPLC electricity transmission.
“This promise of lines to roll out the fibre as opposed to digging underground trenches will lead to the termination of fibre at each of the 74,000 KPLC transformers and eventually at each and every metre in the long run to make free and reliable WiFi available in all corners of the country,” he reiterated.
Dr. Mwaura pointed out that the government has contracted many companies through ICTA who have further sub-contracted more companies and as a result, hundreds and thousands of youth have been employed. For example, Sam Nduati from Murang’a who works at the cable installation project by ICTA from Isiolo to Marsabit is now able to take care of his family by paying rent and school fees for his high school going children.
He at the same time announced that the Government has re-engineered the Postal Corporation of Kenya into an e-commerce and logistics hub, enabling young entrepreneurs to engage in online trading due to the extensive network of the postal offices across the country.
Dr. Mwaura further said that the Government has facilitated the development of 1,018 audio-visual productions under the KBC Studio Mashinani Programme, putting money into the pockets of young artists and also on boarded more than 94 ICT solution providers and private partners to co-create innovative solutions through the Konza Cloud, generating income for participants.
He assured that the Government remains committed to ensuring a level playing field for youth empowerment, understanding that the youth are the architects of the future and that the digital pathways they create today will shape the world for generations to come.
To achieve the goal of investing in agriculture as a key driver of economic recovery, focusing on reducing the cost of living, creating jobs, reducing poverty, and generating income, Dr. Mwaura voiced that the government has undertaken various initiatives to make farming profitable with predictable incomes by deploying modern agriculture risk management tools, including crop and livestock insurance schemes and commodity market instruments.
These achievements include providing agricultural capacity building and technical support to counties, engaging 1,128 veterinary interns to support livestock production, improving animal breeding through the establishment of embryo transfer facilities and goat artificial insemination centers, and producing approximately 1 million doses of bull semen and 50,000 doses of buck semen which has resulted in better quality breeds, increased meat and milk production, and higher yields and income from the export of semen.
He also mentioned that the Government has subsidized livestock feed through duty waivers and VAT exemptions on feed raw materials and distributed 8,900 kilograms of seed for pasture production, stabilizing feed prices and improving availability.
“The Government has further enhanced the leather value chain by training 1,166 stakeholders from 163 slaughterhouses and issuing 1,195 flaying tools, leading to higher quality hides and improved leather products used in manufacturing school shoes rather than the current importation of 25 million shoes annually,” he posited, adding that the dairy value chain development has been advanced with the mapping of 265 sites for milk cooler installation and provision of 200 dairy goats to multiplication centers and elite breeders in Kenya Livestock Commercialization Project (KELCOP) areas.
By Michael Omondi
