Kikuyu Jitume Centre to equip youth with skills for digital economy

Young people in Kikuyu and Kiambu County environs are set to benefit from advanced digital skills training, workspaces and entrepreneurship opportunities following the groundbreaking of a Jitume Centre of Excellence in the constituency.

The facility is expected to provide young people with training in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, software development, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data analytics.

It will also have spaces for digital content creation, e-commerce, studios and collaborative work, giving young entrepreneurs an opportunity to develop and grow technology-based businesses.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah, who presided over the groundbreaking on Thursday, said the centre would help young people acquire skills that can open up opportunities in the digital economy.

“The establishment of the Digital Centre of Excellence in Kikuyu reflects the Government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that Kenyans can participate meaningfully in the digital economy,” Ichung’wah said.

The centre is part of a national programme seeking to establish a Jitume Centre of Excellence in each of the 47 counties. The facilities will build on more than 330 Jitume Digital Hubs already established across the country.

The hubs provide basic digital training, while the Centres of Excellence are intended to offer more advanced skills, innovation, research and entrepreneurship support.

Technopolis Development Authority CEO John Paul Okwiri, represented at the event by Manager Building Services Paul Kioi, said the Kikuyu facility would give digital creatives and innovators access to modern working and learning spaces.

“On completion, the Kikuyu Jitume Centre of Excellence will provide an ideal working environment for digital creatives and include spaces for eCommerce, studios, learning centres alongside other government services,” Eng Kioi said.

The centre is expected to give young people a pathway from acquiring basic digital literacy to developing specialised skills and turning their ideas into businesses.

The programme has already trained more than 100,000 young people since its launch in 2023, according to the Technopolis Development Authority. Nearly 30,000 digital devices have been deployed through the programme, while 91,428 youths have accessed digital jobs.

Kiambu has 10 existing digital and innovation hub sites spread across Kiambu, Kikuyu, Lari, Limuru, Ruiru and Thika.

The new centre is expected to strengthen the network by providing advanced training and additional opportunities for young people who want to pursue careers or businesses in the technology sector.

The programme is being implemented by the Technopolis Development Authority in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Kenya, ICT Authority and the National Government Constituencies Development Fund.