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

The government is investing in national connectivity infrastructure, including the rollout of 100,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable and the expansion of last-mile connectivity through public–private partnerships.52 In tandem, the establishment of digital hubs is aimed at equipping young people and women with employable digital skills, with more than 350,000 individuals trained under Ajira Digital as of 202353 and 13,153 beneficiaries of Jitume’s training.54 County governments such as Kisumu, Uasin Gishu and Machakos have launched youth innovation centres,55 and the Council of Governors’ ICT Committee56 contributes to shaping devolved digital infrastructure and education plans. Despite large training figures, private-sector stakeholders have highlighted that the programmes often fall short of making participants fully “job ready”, indicating a mismatch between training content and labour-market needs.To address skills mismatches, stakeholders from the education and training sector emphasized the need for ongoing curriculum reforms. Employers echoed this view, pointing to the high costs of retraining recent graduates whose skills do not match current digital labour requirements. A public official shared that curriculum development institutions and qualification-awarding bodies guided by National Occupational Standards are working in collaboration with industry to incorporate skills such as AI, data analytics and software development. At the regional level, stakeholders identified the mutual recognition of digital qualifications and easing of labour mobility restrictions within the EAC as important levers to scale digital job access and fill skills gaps. Harmonizing qualifications and removing cross-border regulatory barriers would not only enhance worker mobility but also facilitate the growth of cross-border digital services trade.3.1 Expanding access to jobs and skills Stakeholders recommended a comprehensive review and reform of existing labour legislation to explicitly recognize digital and gig workers and to enact additional amendments to tackle aspects of remote, digital and gig work that are not currently well addressed. Stakeholders urged the national BPO policy to go beyond investment promotion and include enforceable standards such as fair contracts, grievance mechanisms and OSH provisions. Discussions on digital labour reforms are ongoing, including through the ILO’s Community of Practice on Digital Skills and Jobs in Kenya.57 Regional policy alignment was also identified as a crucial area for action. Stakeholders proposed that trade and investment incentives across the EAC should be tied to compliance with fair labour standards for digital work. There was support for a “tripartite+” approach – bringing together government, employers, workers and civil society – to co-create and oversee implementation of such standards. From the business perspective, several stakeholders recommended the development of responsible conduct guidelines for companies involved in content moderation, data labelling and other forms of platform work. Suggestions included piloting sector- specific insurance schemes and conducting human rights due diligence aligned with Kenya’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.583.2 Promoting decent work and fair conditions in digital labour Trade and Labour: Pathways for Decent Work in Kenya’s Digital Economy 16