President Ruto Announces 50,000 New Internship Slots From January 2027

President William Ruto told crowds at the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret that the National Internship Programme will be enlarged by 50,000 placements beginning in January 2027, aimed at graduates from universities, technical and vocational education and training institutions and other colleges.

He explained that the additional positions will be filled through a digital platform that is transparent and based on merit, and that the government will offer incentives to private firms that take on interns, who will each receive a monthly stipend.

The expansion forms one of four initiatives unveiled by the President, the others covering reforms to income tax, stamp duty on land transactions and import duty on mobile phones, with the administration set to arrange the required financing and administration ahead of the rollout.

Since its launch in 2019, the programme has placed more than 37,000 young people, while the Public Service Commission deployed 8,268 interns across ministries, departments and agencies in 2026 and reported that 3,134 former interns have secured permanent posts in national and county governments; it also advertised 6,000 vacancies under the second cohort of the Affordable Housing Programme for graduates and diploma holders.

By adding 50,000 new slots, the government hopes to broaden access to practical work experience for graduates who face difficulty entering a competitive labour market without prior exposure.