President William Ruto's administration is preparing to expand paid internship opportunities for young Kenyans, with 50,000 graduates expected to benefit from the National Internship Programme from January 2027.
The initiative is meant to ease the transition from college and university into the job market, where many graduates struggle to secure jobs because employers demand previous work experience.
Under the proposed arrangement, successful applicants will receive monthly stipends of between Sh20,000 and Sh25,000 as they gain practical experience in their professional fields. The programme will accommodate graduates from universities, colleges and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret on October 20, 2026, the President announced plans to expand the programme to accommodate 50,000 young people from January 1, 2027. He later disclosed on November 5 that more than 150,000 applications had been received within 24 hours of the application process opening.
The President said the government intends to progressively increase the number of beneficiaries to 100,000 and eventually 200,000 within two to three years.
The expanded programme will bring together government institutions and private-sector organisations to give graduates opportunities to acquire practical workplace skills.
The government has indicated that it will finance the interns' monthly stipends, including those placed in private companies. The President has also engaged industry players, including the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, to explore ways of bringing more businesses into the initiative.
Private employers are expected to provide workplace exposure, mentorship and professional guidance to participating graduates. The administration hopes the arrangement will help young people gain the experience needed to compete for jobs.
The programme targets young Kenyans completing their studies in universities, colleges and TVET institutions. It is expected to cover different professional disciplines, allowing graduates to gain experience in workplaces relevant to their academic and technical qualifications.
Applicants should, however, distinguish between the broader National Internship Programme and specific Public Service Commission (PSC) advertisements, since eligibility requirements may vary.
A PSC internship advertisement published on November 10, 2026, requires applicants to hold a degree from a recognised university, to have graduated from 2020 onwards, to have computer skills and not to have benefited from a similar programme. The advertised placement runs for 12 months and is non-renewable. Official recruitment information is available on the PSC recruitment portal.
The latest expansion builds on the government's earlier commitment to create more than 100,000 paid industrial internship opportunities through partnerships with private-sector employers.
The new National Internship Programme is expected to provide a more coordinated pathway for graduates entering the job market.
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