Kabogo proposes 4pc interest computer loans for digital-hub trainees

By  Kabui Mwangi

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

• Mr Kabogo said the proposed loans would enable young people to buy computers and work from home.
• The proposal is set to extend the government’s digital skills programme beyond training centres.

Information and Communications Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo will propose to the Cabinet a computer financing scheme for digital-hub trainees, with interest rates of between three and four per cent to help them start earning from online work.

Mr Kabogo said the proposed loans would enable young people to buy computers and work from home using skills acquired at government-supported digital hubs, lowering the cost of entering Kenya’s growing digital economy.

“I’ll be making a proposal to the Cabinet in the coming week that trainees from the digital hubs be able to access machine loans to enable them to buy computers, just in a similar model that asset financing firms use,” the CS said in a media interview.

“The government could impose a three or four percent interest rate and give the trainees computers to enable them to earn from the skills they’ve gained in the digital hubs while working from home.”

The proposal is set to extend the government’s digital skills programme beyond training centres by helping graduates acquire the equipment needed to take up remote jobs, freelance assignments and other income-generating opportunities.

The digital hubs are part of the government’s plan to establish 1,450 centres, at least one in every ward, where young people can access computers, internet connectivity and digital skills training.

In April, the ICT ministry said more than 300 hubs were operational and supported by over 20,000 devices, while additional computers were being assembled at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and Moi University for deployment to the centres.

The programme is intended to prepare young people for work in areas such as online freelancing, digital services and other technology-enabled businesses, but access to personal equipment remains a separate hurdle for trainees seeking to work independently.

Unlike training conducted at a shared hub, remote work often requires a worker to have a reliable computer and internet connection at home, alongside the skills and ability to find paying clients.

The Cabinet proposal comes as the government seeks to expand participation in the digital economy through wider connectivity, digital skills and access to equipment, while working with private-sector players to develop opportunities for young people.

kmwangi@ke.nationmedia.com

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