A report released by the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology shows that 1.2 million Kenyans are employed on the digital platforms.
The Ajira Digital 2021 Report, released on Monday, September 20, by ICT Cabinet Secretary, Joe Mucheru, indicated that many Kenyans are opting for jobs on digital platforms.
“The Ajira Digital 2021 National Study on digital and digitally-enabled work and awareness of the Ajira Digital Program in Kenya established that 5 per cent of the adult population in Kenya are digital workers, which translates to 1.2 million Kenyans,” read the report.
The growing numbers, according to the report, were as a result of Kenyans seeking to work on digital platforms on a part-time basis.
“What currently inhibits and inspires Kenyans to pursue digital work is the opportunity to work part-time,” the report read.
The report also indicated that Kenya was leading in the number of digitally-enabled jobs due to various digital programs initiated by the government.
“Kenya is leading the frontier of digitally enabled work in partnership with Ajira, a youth empowerment platform offering opportunities for online work.”
It was also reported that there was growth in services offered on various digital platforms.
“There are different services offered by Kenyans on digital platforms. A spike in growth is seen in digital marketing, virtual assistants, surveys, sports betting, and more,” read part of the report.
In the report seen by Kenyans.co.ke, digital marketing was the most engaged sector on the digital platforms at 22 per cent with a projected population of 282,041 online users engaging in it.
This was closely followed by data entry and writing articles for websites at 21 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
The report also indicated that online academic writing is one of the sectors that have created jobs for online users especially the youth.
However, the report indicated that Kenyans working on digital platforms still face challenges of accessing the internet and the lack of digital skills.
“Key barriers include high internet costs, skill gaps, and Wi-Fi inaccessibility,” the report indicated.
