President William Ruto has set a three-year target of expanding digital job opportunities to two million, international employment opportunities to one million and jobs linked to housing and related investments to two million.
Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on Tuesday, October 20, Ruto said the government would pursue the targets alongside investments in roads, energy and transport infrastructure.
“Over the next three years, our goal is to scale digital job opportunities to 2 million, international labor opportunities to 1 million and employment linked to housing and associated investments to 2 million,” he said.
Ruto said the government would use sustainable financing mechanisms through the proposed National Infrastructure Fund to support the investments, adding that the targets would be funded, implemented and measured.
“These are ambitious targets and we must be prepared to articulate how they will be funded, executed and measured,” he said.
The digital employment target builds on initiatives that the President said had already enabled 350,000 young people to earn a living in the digital economy.
The government intends to expand opportunities for young people to access online work as part of its wider economic transformation agenda. However, the two-million target represents the stated ambition for digital job opportunities over the next three years, rather than a figure of jobs already created.
Ruto also outlined the government’s international labour mobility programme, saying it had helped 680,000 Kenyans secure employment opportunities abroad.
The target of one million international employment opportunities would build on that programme as the government seeks to connect more Kenyans with jobs outside the country.
Housing and related investments form the third part of the employment plan. Ruto said 303,910 housing units were at various stages of construction, alongside 450 modern markets and student hostels intended to accommodate students.
According to the President, these projects had generated more than 1.1 million jobs in construction and related sectors.
He said the government would continue investing in housing and supporting infrastructure to create employment while improving access to decent homes, markets and student accommodation.
The President placed the targets within his administration’s broader economic agenda ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying he would present Kenyans with an account of his government’s achievements and plans for the next phase of development.
The employment announcements come as unemployment, the cost of living and access to decent work remain important public concerns. In the same address, Ruto acknowledged that more employment opportunities were needed and that progress should not be used as an excuse for complacency.
The government’s ability to meet the targets will depend on financing, implementation and the availability of verifiable data showing how many employment opportunities are created across the three sectors.
