Lack of standardised operation standards, low investment in rural polytechnics and inefficiencies in obtaining state documentation required for employment are among the challenges facing youth enrolled at state-funded Ajira centres.
Even worse, some of these centres, though documented on paper and the Ajira website, are non-existent on the ground.
This is according to a new study dubbed “Fuatilia Ahadi program” prepared by Siasa Place that sought to analyse young people's transition into the job market to inform governance decision-making and advocacy
The research identified three types of Ajira centers: physical hubs listed on the official website, mobile centers offering short-term courses (ranging from 3 to 5 days), and Ajira centers established through collaboration between Ajira hubs and higher learning institutions.
Official data on Ajira digital website show that the government has put up a total of 27 Ajira digital centers including 12 in Kakamega, nine in Homa Bay and six in Mombasa.
However, the report which interviewed a total of 481 graduates made up of 240 from ajira digital and 241 from rural polytechnics, established that 14 out of the 27 were in existence and operational with Homa Bay. In Mombasa some four out of six centres are functional while only a paltry four out of 12 centres in Kakamega are operational.
Some of the functional centres in Homa Bay include Oyugis Town Location, East Kamgak Sikri, Kachien South, Kosene, Ratanga and Sindo. Those that are not operational yet exist on the website include Omiro, Kodera South and Magunga.
Shika Adabu centre in Mombasa is not operational after computers supplied to it were relocated to the Likoni NG-CDF centre which is fully operational. JKUAT Centre is not operational after equipment broke down and are yet to be replaced. Hatua, Nyali NG-CDF and Mikindani Youth empowerment centres are operational.
In Kakamega, Ajira centres in Malinya, Matungu, Butere are among the functioning centres with those in Kayonzo Chiefs Camp, Khwisero and Butere Shiatsala not functioning.
It is in this county where several centres- Butere Iuanza, Eregi Chiefs camp, Iguhu police station, Shiseso health centre and Butere Marenyo chief’s camp- exist on the website but are nowhere on the ground.
The report noted that placing some of these centres in chiefs’ offices and police stations has negatively impacted the enrolment of several youth who associate the areas with intimidation.
Whereas Ajira centers were found to be generally relevant, the study established that they were not always responsive to the market's demands.
“Those that formed partnerships with local institutions were more relevant and responsive, as they offered a wider range of courses that aligned better with market demands. In contrast, standalone Ajira centers were less responsive because they primarily offered basic computer packages, which were not in high demand,” the report stated.
The Ajira centers that had a collaboration with higher learning including Mawego Polytechnic (Homa Bay), Technical university of mombasa (Mombasa) were more aligned to market demands because they offered courses in areas such as graphic design, content creation and product marketing.
Of those who graduated from Ajira, at least 63 per cent (151) had secured jobs in various categories including 34.6 per cent who were self-employed, 16 per cent employed and 12.5 per cent being consistent casual workers.
However, the waiting period for those who secured jobs varied with almost 50 per cent waiting for less than a year, another 24 per cent waited for a period between one and two years with the last lot waiting for more than two years to get employed.
A majority of those employed, some 51 per cent earn below Sh15,000 followed by 23 per cent who earn between Sh15,000 and Sh25,000 with another 13 per cent earning above Sh25,000.
A further dissection of the 241 respondents who graduated from the rural polytechnics indicated that 164 (68 per cent) got jobs in various categories including 32 per cent being self-employed, 20 per cent being employed and 16 per cent being consistent casual workers.
The waiting period between graduation and getting jobs for this specific lot however increased with 41 per cent waiting less than a year. One out of every four waited for between a year and two with a whopping 33 per cent waiting for more than two years.
Cases of favouritism have however besmirched the good programme with the report noting that whereas it was intended to “benefit each constituency, the study established significant disparities, with some constituencies hosting multiple centers, while others had none at all”
In some regions, the centres were used as political tools, with management controlled by local Members of Parliament or their affiliates.
To get rid of such instances, the study recommended establishing a nationally recognised standard for the application process and operation of the centers, ensuring that they are free from political interference.
Also, there is a significant disparity in access between rural and urban areas, with urban residents benefiting disproportionately compared to their rural counterparts.
“Rural areas faced greater challenges, including non-functional centers, while some rural constituencies had limited access, with centers open only once or twice a week. In contrast, urban centers were more frequently operational, often opening five days a week,” the report stated.
Whereas the training offered by the centres play a big role in equipping its students with hands-on skills, the survey highlighted challenges related to inadequacy of modern equipment to facilitate learning.
Almost 42 per cent of the respondents felt that the polytechnics were well equipped to offer the courses they needed, with 35.5 percent and 22 per cent believing the facilities were partially and not adequate, respectively.
“This has negatively impacted the quality of training. For example, issues such as outdated equipment and poor working conditions for both instructors and learners were prevalent,” the report said.
Once the students graduate, they are yet again bombarded by the challenge of having to wait long periods and churning out money to acquire requisite documents for employment.
These documents include the national identity card, certificate of good conduct, driving license, Higher Education Loans Board clearance certificate and passports when one gets a job outside the country.
Several respondents reported instances of corruption that hindered their access to these documents with one revealing that he lost a job opportunity due to delays in obtaining a certificate of good conduct, which took two months to process—long after the job had been filled.
The only government entity, according to the study which provided Tax compliance details promptly, is the Kenya Revenue Authority which the study gave a clean bill of health.
The study found that the waiting period for a certificate of good conduct was inconsistent with the information on the website, while the website stated a waiting period of 14 days, being inconsistent with what is on the ground that youth waited more than 3 months to get the certificate of good conduct. The key challenge for this was securing slots for fingerprint collection.
Other documents requested by potential employers were perceived to be irrelevant to certain documents required by employers. For instance, employers often demand documents like HELB clearance from applicants who did not benefit from the loans.
Graduates seeking driving licenses reported that corruption and brokerage has been normalised with the majority of driving schools asking learners to pay up to Sh1500 bribe money to the examining officers.
“Those who fail to comply are compelled to retake the driving exams without assurance of success by the examining officers,” part of the report said.
The acquisition of passports also remains a thorn in the flesh of job applicants who said that the waiting period for the document can at times extend to over a year depending on the bribe one offered.
To clear up the hitches at Ajira centre, the report recommended the government to standardise courses and operational procedures across all Ajira centers and enhance collaboration with local educational institutions to offer market-driven courses that align with the demands of the digital economy.
It also called for increased investment in rural polytechnics in upgrading equipment and facilities to improve the quality of technical training and enhance the employability of graduates, ensuring they are job-ready upon completion of their courses.
“The government should streamline the process of acquiring essential documents such as national IDs, business permits, and tax certificates. This could include reducing waiting times, lowering costs, and addressing corruption within the system, ensuring that young people can access the necessary documentation without facing delays or financial hardship,” the report concluded.
