For every internship slot on offer, three young Kenyans applied within a single day.

President William Ruto said on Thursday that more than 150,000 graduates had applied for 50,000 government-paid internship positions within 24 hours of applications opening on a digital platform, a rush that shows how many young people are waiting for their first job.

"I have been told that by this morning we have over 150,000 applicants in 24 hours," Ruto said at State House, Nairobi, where he awarded a charter to the International Leadership University. "It tells you there is a strong pull of graduates from our TVETs, colleges, and universities."

The applicant figure comes from the President's remarks and has not been published separately by the agency running the platform.

How the programme works

  • Interns will be paid Sh20,000 to Sh25,000 a month, fully funded by the government, including those placed with private companies.
  • The programme starts in January 2027 with 50,000 places.
  • Graduates of TVET institutions, colleges and universities are eligible.
  • Placements will be in both the civil service and the private sector.
  • The government plans to grow the scheme to 100,000 and then 200,000 places within two to three years.

"We are going to provide resources as a government to pay for students to participate," Ruto said, adding that he would meet all university vice-chancellors before the Christmas break.

Private sector pulled in

Ruto has held talks with private employers, including the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), on taking in interns.

At the State House event, People Daily reported, the President also challenged universities to teach students to solve real-world problems so they are ready for industry.

Why it matters

The scale of the response highlights the pressure in the job market. Even as private firms report rising sales, the latest Stanbic PMI survey found that hiring in October was the weakest of the current upturn. With three applicants for every slot after just one day, most of those who applied will miss out in the first intake.

The programme, first announced in October, also arrives in the run-up to the 2027 General Election, and its delivery from January will be closely watched by the graduates who have already applied.

Photos: PCS via Kenyans.co.ke; User:US via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.