Trade and Labour Pathways for Decent Work in Kenya's Digital Economy 2025

National strategies Recent national strategies acknowledge the shift towards a digital-first economy but need to guarantee worker protections. –Kenya’s Digital Economy Blueprint (2019)34 sets out a comprehensive vision for using digital technologies to drive national development, guided by five pillars: digital government; digital business; infrastructure; innovation-driven entrepreneurship; and digital skills and values. The blueprint recognizes the gig and platform economy as part of the broader digital economy and identifies opportunities for job creation, youth employment and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) growth. It recognizes the gig economy but lacks a labour-rights framework or specific protections. The National Broadband Strategy (2018–2023)35 promotes affordable broadband access. –Kenya’s National AI Strategy36 outlines a comprehensive framework to position the country as a regional AI leader through investments in digital infrastructure, ethical governance and human capital development. –Kenya’s National Policy on Business Process Outsourcing (2025)37 aims to position the country as a global BPO hub for job creation and economic growth, with explicit attention to decent work deficits, gig economy regulation and the integration of labour protections into digital outsourcing models. –Kenya’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2020–2025)38 recommends mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD), gender-sensitive consultation and stronger grievance mechanisms. Its relevance to platform work is indirect and underdefined. Trade and Labour: Pathways for Decent Work in Kenya’s Digital Economy 11