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

Labour challenges in Kenya’s digital economy2 Limited infrastructure, outdated training and weak job protections limit Kenya’s ability to turn digital work into stable, high-quality employment. The most immediate constraints are related to Kenya’s infrastructure. Overall, only 37% of the population and 23.8% of households have access to the internet.39 Usage rates vary from 64.7% in Nairobi City to 9.1% in West Pokot.40 While mobile (SIM) penetration is 130.5% and smartphone penetration is 58.3%,41 the high cost of laptops, mobile data and consistent internet access is a significant barrier for low-income individuals seeking entry into the digital economy. Electricity reliability remains a concern, particularly in rural areas. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has revealed that in 2024–2025 Kenyans have so far experienced an average of more than nine hours of power blackouts per month,42 affecting freelancers and firms by inflating costs and reducing productivity. The digital divide also reflects broader inequalities. Ajira Digital and Jitume aim to improve access, but uptake remains uneven and skills mismatched. Many digital workers lack market-relevant skills. According to stakeholders across government, academia and industry, Kenya’s education system, including universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, often lags behind the needs of the digital job market due to rapid changes in technology and inadequate capacity in advanced emerging digital skills, with outdated curricula43 and an insufficient focus on emerging areas such as AI. Private-sector interviewees emphasized that while skilling programmes reach a wide share of the workforce, they are often not designed to make workers truly job-ready. On-the-job training and apprenticeship programmes that build practical, market-aligned experience are key. Moreover, a gender gap persists. While 53% of Ajira Digital trainees were women in 2023,44 women remain under-represented in the digital workforce, especially in high-skill and high-income areas of tech. Beyond physical infrastructure and skills, it is also crucial to recognize the role of social infrastructure and intermediary labour – such as workers who build trust, mediate digital access and extend platform services into communities – as vital to the functioning of digital economies. As recent research from India has shown,45 even digital financial services rely on such often-invisible forms of labour to ensure reach, uptake and continuity. 2.1 Equitable access to digital jobs and skills Trade and Labour: Pathways for Decent Work in Kenya’s Digital Economy 12