How free online courses are building Kenya's next generation of digital earners

Kenya's economic engine is powered by its ambitious youth. With 30 per cent of the total population (15.8 million) falling into this demographic, according to the Economic Survey Report 2025 by KNBS, their potential is immense. Yet, a stubborn challenge persists - unemployment. As of June 2024, Kenya’s national unemployment rate stood at 11.9 per cent, leaving thousands of graduates and young people, armed with certificates and ready to 'conquer' the world, in a disheartening limbo.
The all-too-familiar phase of "tarmacking" – the relentless, often fruitless search for employment – has become an unwelcome initiation for many. For some, the hope they once possessed is slowly replaced by exhaustion and disappointment. On the flip side, employers frequently lament a critical skills gap, citing that many job seekers lack essential attributes for the modern workplace, including digital proficiency, technical expertise, and industry-relevant knowledge.
This is not just about the over one million graduates entering the job market annually; it is also about countless other young Kenyans who can't afford college tuition, or, like Ednah Nyamusi Ochwoga, are unable to take time off from their jobs to upskill.