By David Mukara

Kiambu, 5^th April, 2019

The Ministry of ICT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kenyatta University that will see the integration of Ajira digital Curriculum into the University’s Calendar under general studies where each student shall undertake the course among other things.

Under the MoU, the Ministry and the University will partner in areas such as academic and training, research and innovation, community outreach and utility partnerships.

Research and innovation  partnership will focus on research on the Ajira Digital to enhance the curriculum to provide youths with technology competent skills for employment and research in areas of digital and digitally enabled job creation, skills and training.Through the agreement, Kenyatta University promises to scale up Ajira activities to the community and the region.

“In the MoU, we pledge to identify, explore and collaborate in activities that we think will benefit the development and support of the government’s big 4 agenda,” said Professor Simon Onywere who is also the patron of Kenyatta University Ajira Digital club during the signing ceremony.

Principal Secretary for ICT Jerome Ochieng and Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina signed the MoU which was witnessed by the ICT Cabinet Secretary Joseph Mucheru.

The Cabinet Secretary later visited the University’s Global Information Systems (GIS) laboratory and launched the University’s Ajira Digital Club.

Ajira Digital Clubs fall under the infrastructure pillar of the Ajira Digital programme and targets Kenyan Youth in all institutions in Kenya. It creates awareness on the future of work on the future of work and business opportunities and impart students to enable them use technology to access digital work and business opportunities that can generate sustainable income

Kenyatta University’s Ajira Digital Club was established in December last year. The University has trained 350 students in two cohorts held between December last year and February this year.

Fredrick Munene, a student from the institution who has been trained on the programme and a member of the Ajira Digital Club wowed the audience when he revealed that he made Kshs 400,000 within 3 months of joining.

ICT Cabinet Secretary said online work is like any other work and that those who engage in it must do so ethically.

He said that over 638,000 adult Kenyans have had a digital enabled jobs in the past 12 months According to the National Household Survey released in February this year adding that the figures are rising.

“We are working on a programme to digitize the judiciary for the court process, we will start with a pilot of 700 people and grow it to 15,000 as we eventually cover the 640 courtrooms,” the CS said.

He said that the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) will be the central consolidated database and the sole source of information on a person’s identity to help government in it’s planning and service delivery to the citizens.

Kenyatta University’s Vice Chancellor said that the institution does not only embrace the digital platform in the world of work, but has also embraced teaching using digital platforms.

He thanked the government for committing itself to facilitating the construction of Constituency Innovation Hubs.