NAIROBI
A 25-week digital skills and employment program is equipping 1,700 young people from refugee and host communities in Kenya’s Turkana and Garissa counties with technical skills and industry-recognized certifications aimed at improving access to jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The program was launched in Kakuma on July 1 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with Microsoft, Power Learn Project Africa, and the county governments of Turkana and Garissa.
It is funded by the Government of the Netherlands through the ILO’s PROSPECTS Partnership, which also includes UNHCR, UNICEF, the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank.
Power Learn Project Africa is delivering the training through a decentralized network of digital hubs that includes refugee-led organizations, community-based organizations and county-supported facilities.
The model brings learning closer to participants by using existing local institutions rather than a centralized campus.
Participants complete 10 weeks of foundational digital and workplace skills before progressing to 15 weeks of specialized training in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data analytics.
Microsoft has contributed 1,000 certification vouchers covering Azure Fundamentals, Azure AI Fundamentals, Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst and Microsoft 365 Fundamentals.
Caroline Khamati Mugalla, ILO director for East Africa, said the initiative responds to the changing demands of the labor market.
“Digital transformation is rapidly changing labour markets and increasing the need for targeted skills development. Young people in refugee-hosting communities risk being excluded from opportunities that are increasingly shaping economic participation,” she said.
Winnie Karanu, Microsoft’s AI Skills Director, said the partnership combines technical training with internationally recognized credentials and employment pathways.
“By combining training with globally recognized certifications and employment pathways, we are helping more people participate meaningfully in Kenya’s digital economy.”
Expanding Access to Opportunity
Mumbi Ndung’u, co-founder and executive director of Power Learn Project Africa, said the program is built on expanding access to opportunity.
“Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. This initiative brings digital opportunities closer to refugee and host community youth, giving them the skills and economic agency to shape their futures.”
Turkana County Government joined the initiative through a memorandum of understanding and is mobilizing host community participants through county administrative structures while integrating the program into its broader digital economy strategy.
Power Learn Project Africa said it has reached more than 1,360 young people through previous initiatives and aims for 48% of graduates to transition into employment, entrepreneurship or other livelihood opportunities within three months of completing the program.
The initiative targets two counties that host the majority of Kenya’s displaced population.
According to the Department of Refugee Services, Kenya had 852,388 refugees and asylum seekers as of May 31, 2026. About 49% lived in Dadaab in Garissa County, while 37.1% lived in Kakuma in Turkana County, meaning the two counties together hosted approximately 86% of the country’s refugee population.
The program comes as Kenya seeks to extend the benefits of its growing digital economy beyond major urban centers. A 2024 GSMA study, also published by the Communications Authority of Kenya, projected that digitalization across agriculture, manufacturing, transport and trade could add KES 662 billion ($5.1 billion) to Kenya’s gross domestic product by 2028, create 300,000 jobs and generate KES 150 billion ($1.2 billion) in additional tax revenue.
For refugee and host communities in Turkana and Garissa, supporters say expanding access to digital skills training will help ensure those opportunities reach regions that have historically been underserved, creating new pathways to employment, entrepreneurship and economic inclusion.
