The County government of Kericho has recruited 210 interns in its inaugural programme to offer meaningful and practical experience.
The Governor, Dr. Erick Mutai, while launching the programme said the internships were long overdue and that besides the youth employed benefiting through payment of stipends, the youth got the opportunity to consolidate and translate the skills learned from their training coursework into meaningful, practical and relevant hands-on experience.
“It is also an avenue for the youth to connect with the outside world and to gain insights for further career growth. By being at the work site, the interns will get first hand perspective of the skills and attributes required for employment,” he observed.
He thanked the County Public Service Board for compiling the list of the beneficiaries which touched all the 30 wards of the county adding, that they will add another slot of 90 interns in areas which did not get enough representation in the list.
Dr. Mutai said that in future, the board will liaise with the County Assembly representatives in an effort to distribute the opportunities evenly.
During the occasion, the Acting Chief Officer for Public Service Management, Betsy Chebet, revealed that the lucky group comprises of 104 Diploma holders and 106 Degree holders.
“The board advertised for 210 slots and a record of 11, 060 applications were received at the close of the advertisement on February 15, 2023. The recruitment process was competitive, free and fair and took into consideration gender, regional balance, marginalized and the minority group,” she said.
The CO revealed the degree holders will earn a monthly stipend allowance of Ksh 15,000 while the diploma holders will take home Ksh 12, 000.
The Chairman of Education Committee at the assembly, Cheruiyot Bett, thanked the county for the initiative which he termed as timely and beneficial to the youth and promised the assembly will work together with the executive to actualize the programmes that will be beneficial to the county.
The Speaker of the assembly, Japhet Mutai, praised the internship programme and said it should be expanded in future.
Over 30 MCAs who spoke called for proper consultation between the assembly and the Public Service Board so that no area in the Wards were left without a beneficiary.
By Benedict Ngetich
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